Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.
Biography
Alfeev Grigory Valerievich was born on July 24, 1966 in Moscow.
Grandfather - Grigory Markovich Dashevsky, historian, author of books on the Spanish Civil War, died at the front in 1944. Father - Valery Grigorievich Dashevsky, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics. Sci., author of monographs on organic chemistry. Early left the family, then died due to an accident. Mother - writer Valeria Anatolyevna Alfeeva, raised her son alone.
He was baptized at the age of 11.
From 1973 to 1984 he studied at the Moscow Secondary Special Musical School. Gnesins in the class of violin and composition.
In 1981, he entered the Church of the Resurrection of the Word on the Dormition Vrazhka (Moscow) as a reader. Since 1983, he was a subdeacon of Metropolitan Pitirim (Nechaev) of Volokolamsk and Yuryevsk and worked as a freelancer in the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate.
In 1984, after graduating from school, he entered the composition department of the Moscow State Conservatory.
In 1984-86 he served in the army, in the border troops as a musician in a brass band.
In January 1987, of his own free will, he left his studies at the Moscow Conservatory and entered the Vilna Holy Spirit Monastery as a novice.
On June 19, 1987, he was tonsured a monk in the cathedral of the Vilna Holy Spirit Monastery, and on June 21, in the same cathedral, he was ordained a hierodeacon by Archbishop Victorin (Belyaev) of Vilna and Lithuania.
On August 19, 1987, at the Prechistensky Cathedral in Vilnius, with the blessing of Archbishop Viktorin of Vilna and Lithuania, he was ordained a hieromonk by Archbishop Anatoly (Kuznetsov) of Ufa and Sterlitamak.
In 1988 - 1990 served as rector of churches in the city of Telsiai, the village of Kolainiai and the village of Tituvenai of the Vilna diocese. In 1990 he was appointed rector of the Annunciation Cathedral in Kaunas.
In 1990, as a delegate from the clergy of the Vilna and Lithuanian diocese, he participated in the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In 1989 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary in absentia, and in 1991 from the Moscow Theological Academy with a degree in theology.
In 1991 - 1993 taught homiletics, Holy Scripture of the New Testament, dogmatic theology and Greek at Moscow theological schools.
In 1992 - 1993 taught the New Testament and Patrology at the Russian Orthodox University of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian.
In 1993 he graduated from the postgraduate department of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations.
In 1993 he was sent for an internship at Oxford University, where, under the guidance of Bishop Kallistos of Diokleia (Patriarchate of Constantinople), he worked on his doctoral dissertation on the topic “St. Simeon the New Theologian and Orthodox Tradition”, combining his studies with serving in the parishes of the Sourozh diocese.
In 1995 he graduated from the University of Oxford with a Ph.D. Since 1995, he worked in the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, from August 1997 to 2002 he headed the Secretariat for Inter-Christian Relations.
In 1995-1997 he taught pathology at the Smolensk and Kaluga Theological Seminaries. In 1996, he read a course of lectures on dogmatic theology at the St. German Orthodox Theological Seminary in Alaska ().
From January 1996, he was a member of the clergy of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine on Vspolye in Moscow (Metochion of the Orthodox Church in America).
From 1996 to 2004 he was a member of the Synodal Theological Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In 1997 - 1999 he lectured on dogmatic theology at St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary in New York (USA) and on the mystical theology of the Eastern Church at the Theological Faculty of the University of Cambridge ().
In 1999, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Theology by the St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris.
On Easter 2000, in the Holy Trinity Church in Khoroshev (Moscow), Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad was elevated to the rank of abbot.
2002
Conflict in the Diocese of Sourozh
By the decision of the Holy Synod of December 27, 2001, hegumen Hilarion (Alfeev), upon being elevated to the rank of archimandrite, was determined to be Bishop of Kerch, vicar of the Diocese of Sourozh (eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ireland).
On January 7, 2002, on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad was elevated to the rank of archimandrite in the Smolensk Cathedral.
On April 20, 2009, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia elevated him to the rank of archbishop.
2010: Elevation to the rank of metropolitan, rector of churches in Chernigovsky lane in Moscow
On August 18, 2010, he was appointed rector of the Patriarchal Metochion - the Churches of the Holy Martyrs Michael and Theodore of Chernigov and the Beheading of John the Baptist near Bor.
In 2010, he was elected an honorary doctor of the Russian State Social University and an honorary professor of the Russian Christian Academy for the Humanities.
On February 7, 2011, he was elected professor of the theological faculty of the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) in the department of dogmatic theology.
On September 11, 2010, Metropolitan Hilarion celebrated the hierarchal liturgy, the first since the opening of the church in Chernigovsky Lane in the early 1990s.
2011
Registration of an apartment in Spain for 1 million euros
Grigory Alfeev (the worldly name of Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church) owns one of the most expensive penthouses of the Mare Nostrum II cooperative in Altea (province of Alicante). This was reported by Novaya Gazeta in December 2019.
| “It is located on two levels of the last floors, has its own open and closed terraces, a barbecue area, a swimming pool, two bedrooms with bathrooms and much more. The total area of the apartments in the building at 25 Repetidor Street, according to the developer's official booklet, is more than 235 sq. m, and the price (as of 2011) - 950,000 euros. The closest neighbor of the hierarch, also known for his composing talents, is Tamara Gverdtsiteli, and director and TV presenter Yuli Gusman, producer Timur Weinstein, former Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Novruz Mammadov, Ukrainian businessman Yuriy Aptekar and other respected people also own apartments in the house,” writes “ New Newspaper" . |
According to the publication, at the time of purchase in 2011, the apartment was worth about a million euros. According to one version, the Metropolitan did not buy this housing, but received it as a gift from a local businessman, Mikhail Botsko. It is also noted that Hilarion does not pay utility bills and has already owed about 20,000 euros.
Participation in the consecration of Elpidophoros, heir to the Patriarch of Constantinople
In 2011, at the consecration of the heir of the Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop Elpidophoros, Patriarch Bartholomew was concelebrated by the chairman of the department for external church relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. Elpidophoros at one time was staked in the entourage of Patriarch Kirill.
Later it became clear that the rate did not work - Elpidophoros became an ardent advocate of the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church. For 2019, he is the de facto head of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
2014: Trip to Ukraine
On May 9, 2014, Hilarion arrived at the airport of Dnepropetrovsk (Ukraine) to participate in the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Dnepropetrovsk Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate Irinei, but while passing through border control he was detained and handed a written notice of a ban on entry to Ukraine without specifying reasons. Metropolitan Hilarion read out the congratulatory message of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in the premises of the border control point and there he presented the hero of the day with the Order of the Holy Right-believing Prince Daniel of Moscow, first degree. On May 12, the Russian Foreign Ministry demanded "from the de facto Kiev authorities an exhaustive explanation for such a disrespectful attitude towards a clergyman of high spiritual rank and an appropriate apology."
2017: Visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby
On November 22, 2017, Metropolitan Hilarion met Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby as part of his first visit to Russia.
- "Divine Liturgy" and "All-Night Vigil" for unaccompanied choir,
- "Matthew Passion" for soloists, choir and orchestra,
- "Christmas Oratorio" for soloists, boys' choir, mixed choir and symphony orchestra,
- symphony for choir and orchestra "Song of Ascension" to the words of psalms.
Celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. Over the past years of his life, he proved himself not only as a talented theologian and priest. Metropolitan Hilarion was rewarded by the Lord himself with oratorical, diplomatic, musical, and writing abilities. Hilarion's life from an early age is connected with Orthodoxy. Having taken the tonsure at the age of 20, he did not think what would happen to him at the age of 30 or 50, but there was never any doubt that his whole life would be connected with the church. Service has always been in the first place, but this did not prevent him from developing in creativity and writing, faith only gave strength to create new masterpieces in music and spiritual literature.
Meaning of life
Attitude towards death
As the metropolitan himself tells, the topic of death worried him from early childhood. Already at the age of five, he realized the fact that all people die sometime. So he does too. But why? What is life for then? These thoughts tormented him all the time. In his youth, these thoughts visited him again. The young man's favorite poet was Federico Garcia Lorca. His work was mostly devoted to death. Through poetry, the author predicted, and subsequently experienced his own tragic death. Hilarion, after graduating from music school, prepared for the final exam a vocal cycle for tenor and piano based on the verses of this author, he called his work “Four Poems of Garcia Lorca”. Many years later, the work was orchestrated and renamed as "Songs of Death".
It so happened that the beginning of the ministry of the church coincided with several deaths of people close to him. The young man was seriously worried about these tragic events. The first death that so shocked the young mind was a tragedy that happened to his beloved violin teacher. Vladimir Litvinov fell right on the exam when his student was playing. There was a cardiac arrest. The ambulance didn't arrive on time. He was still quite a young man, forty years old. The teacher had great authority among his students and their parents. Everyone respected him for his work, intelligence, kindness. He always treated his students with respect, appreciated the dignity in every person. Everyone just adored the teacher. This tragedy has unsettled many.
At the teacher's funeral, many things turned upside down in the mind of the inexperienced Hilarion. Why is life given to man? This question was one of the first. Soon the grandmother dies, after that the sister, and then the father of Hilarion. The young man tried to understand why this is happening with people close and dear to him. It came to the realization that only the Christian faith can give answers to the questions posed. It strengthens our spirit, which resists death. It was important to comprehend why death comes to everyone, only at different times, what transition (and where) it means. Metropolitan Hilarion, whose films provide answers to such questions, tries to convey to all Christians the meaning of life and death.
Biography. Family. Education
In the world, Metropolitan Hilarion bore the name Grigory Dashevsky. He was born in Moscow, in a family of intellectuals, in 1966, on July 24. His grandfather, Grigory Markovich, was known as a historian who studied the Civil War in Spain and wrote a number of books on this subject. He died in 1944, in World War II. Father Valery Grigorievich - Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, creator of many scientific works. The father left the family, soon died due to a tragic accident. Mother alone raised her son, was engaged in writing. Gregory was christened at the age of 11.
Both in childhood and in youth, the current Metropolitan Hilarion occupied an active life position. Russia in its history has a loud similar name. Saint Hilarion was the first Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia. He lived at the beginning of the last millennium. His holy life played a certain role in the formation of the young Hilarion Alfeev.
For eleven years, the young man studied music at the Gnesins' special school in composition and violin. At the age of 15, he entered the Church of the Resurrection of the Word as a reader. After leaving school in 1984 he entered the Moscow Conservatory, but in 1987 his plans changed. Leaving training, he became a novice of the Vilna Holy Spirit Monastery.
Later he served in many churches of the Lithuanian diocese. He was appointed rector of the Annunciation Cathedral in Kaunas. In 1989, Hilarion graduated from the Theological Seminary, and then in 1993 from the Moscow Theological Academy. In 1991-1993 Hilarion teaches Holy Scripture, homiletics, dogmatic theology, and Greek at St. Tikhon's Theological Institute.
Priesthood and creativity
Metropolitan Hilarion had an internship at Oxford University. There he studied the Syriac language, while working on his dissertation. Studying was combined with service in the Sourozh diocese. In 1995, the university was graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy. Since 1995, service began in the Moscow Patriarchate. He taught patrology at the Theological Seminaries of Smolensk and Kaluga. In 1996 he read dogmatic theology at the Alaska Theological Seminary.
In 1996, in Moscow, he became a minister in the church of St. Catherine. In Paris in 1999 he defended his doctorate in theology. At the same time he worked on television, hosted the program "Peace to your home."
Metropolitan Hilarion soon publishes educational publications. The books introduce the reader to the problems, the history of the Slavic disputes of theologians, the monograph. The works “The Sacred Mystery of the Church”, “The Sacrament of Faith” can be attributed here. The books are an introduction to dogmatic theology, accessible to a wide range of readers, not only students of seminaries and theological academies. Anyone who wants to know the depths of the Orthodox faith can study the works of Hilarion.
In 2001, Hilarion received the rank of Bishop of Kerch. In 2002, he received the rank of archimandrite at the Smolensk Cathedral.
Stay in the Sourozh diocese
In 2002, Hilarion Alfeev was sent to serve in the Sourozh diocese. At that time, it was headed by Metropolitan Anthony. Soon, all members of the episcopate, headed by Vasily Osborne, became opposed to him (in 2010, he will be deprived of monasticism and dignity, since he deigns to marry). There was an incident for the reason that Hilarion spoke accusatory against the diocese. Bishop Anthony made critical remarks and pointed out to Hilarion that they were unlikely to work together. But Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev also turned out to be that “tough nut”. He delivered his last speeches with complete confidence in his innocence, where he removed unfounded accusations from himself. The result of the service was a recall from the Sourozh diocese. He began to work as the main representative of the Russian Orthodox Church for work with European international organizations. Hilarion always defended his point of view that Europe should remember its Christian roots.
Service. Merits
Metropolitan Hilarion completely subordinates his daily routine to official duties. He heads the Department for External Church Relations and is a permanent member of the Holy Synod. He leads a wide variety of working groups and commissions. Metropolitan Hilarion also holds post No. 1 in the General Church Postgraduate School, here he is the rector, as well as the rector of the temple.
According to Hilarion himself, worship is a kind of synthesis of many arts, including frescoes, icons, temple architecture, reading, singing, music, poetry and prose, a kind of choreography - bows, exits and entrances to the procession. In worship, all human organs come into action - hearing, sight, smell (incense), taste (Communion), touch (icons), that is, service to the Lord embraces the whole person.
In 2003, Hilarion Alfeev was appointed Bishop of Austria and Vienna. In 2009, he was elected Bishop of Volokolamsk, as well as Vicar of the Moscow Patriarch. At the same time, he became rector of the Church of the Virgin on Bolshaya Ordynka. Hilarion Alfeev was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan in 2010.
Music. Movies
Hilarion Alfeev did not abandon his musical creativity. Through him, he now brings faith to Christ. In 2006-2007 he created the following works: Divine Liturgy, All-Night Vigil, Christmas Oratorio, St. Matthew Passion. The last oratorio sounded not only in Russia, but also in Canada and Australia. For five years it was performed fifty times. The audience gave the composer a standing ovation. Professional musicians who perform works highly appreciate the Metropolitan's masterpieces. Metropolitan Hilarion's work "Christmas Oratorios", which was performed in Washington, caused a storm of delight. Music has penetrated the soul of everyone. Success was later confirmed in Boston, New York and, of course, in Moscow. In cooperation with Spivakov, in 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion created the Christmas Festival, which now takes place annually on the eve of the holy holiday.
The priest does not stop at creating music. On television, the general education cycle is led by Metropolitan Hilarion. Films made by Alfeev tell about the history, the formation of Christianity, here are just a few:
- 2011 - "The Way of the Shepherd".
- 2012 - "A Man Before God", "The Church in History", "Journey to Athos".
- 2013 - "Pilgrimage to the Holy Land".
- 2014 - "Orthodoxy in Georgia". "Orthodoxy in the Serbian lands".
Metropolitan Hilarion. "Orthodoxy", other works
Recently, the Metropolitan's new creation "The Beginning of the Gospel" has seen the light. Alfeev went to this work for a long 25 years. In his books, he presents his valuable experience to those who want to know the truth. Hilarion became interested in writing when he taught the Gospel at the Holy Trinity Institute. Then he studied the New Testament in great detail. He read it from childhood, interpreted it with other literature, at that time there was very little necessary information, access to it was limited. Now Metropolitan Hilarion is passing on his knowledge to everyone. The book of Christ was not written immediately. Hilarion's theological activity is based mainly on the teachings of the Holy Fathers. Dissertations were defended by the author on the topics of Isaac the Syrian and Simeon the New Theologian. The author poured out all his thoughts in the book "Orthodoxy". He began writing this work with Christ, but switched to other topics, realizing that he was not yet ripe for authorship about Jesus.
The book “The Sacred Mystery of the Church. Introduction ”brought the author the Makariev Prize in 2005. The content introduces the thoughts of teachers and church fathers about invoking the name of Christ.
Hilarion's book "The Monk Simeon the New Theologian, His Orthodox Tradition" is a translation of his doctoral dissertation, which was defended at Oxford.
Isaac the Syrian was dedicated to the work "The Spiritual World of Isaac the Syrian". This saint prayed for the love of God, which he saw in everything. He prayed for everyone - for people, for animals, and also for demons. Even hell, in his understanding, is love, as sinners perceive it, as pain and suffering sent according to merit.
The book of Hilarion Alfeev "The Life and Teachings of Gregory the Theologian" describes the life of the great saint and great father, who at one time minted the dogmas of the Holy Trinity.
Hilarion writes his works in a language accessible to the laity. His idea was to create a catechism for those who decided to be baptized, who need a small book, where in three days you can learn all the most basic things. The Metropolitan sat down and wrote such a work in one breath in three days in such a style that even a person could read it in the same period. Then he edited it for another week. In this catechism, Hilarion outlined in the most accessible and simple way all the foundations of the Orthodox faith, the teaching about the Church, about worship, about morals and the foundations of Christian morality.
Metropolitan Hilarion. Book "Jesus Christ"
Throughout his life, Hilarion Alfeev was interested in the theme of Christ. At some point, he realized that the time had come to get acquainted with the New Testament in a modern version. This was due to the fact that Hilarion was blessed by the Patriarch to prepare new textbooks for theological seminaries. The first question arose about the creation of a textbook on the New Testament and the Four Gospels. The metropolitan came to the idea that before creating a textbook, he must first write a book. This is how the book about Christ was born, which was supposed to turn into a textbook. It was planned to write one book, but in the process of work, the author realized that huge blocks of information simply would not fit in one edition, as a result, six were obtained. On July 22, Metropolitan Hilarion's first book "The Beginning of the Gospel" was published - one of the block about Jesus Christ. In general, the work is completed, only the sixth book requires editing.
The book is not built in chronological order of the gospel events. The author considers episodes from the life of Christ in thematic blocks.
The first book is The Beginning of the Gospel. Metropolitan Hilarion speaks in it about the state of modern science about the New Testament, gives a general introduction to a series of books about Christ. The main themes of the four Gospels are considered here: the Annunciation, Christmas, Christ's going out to preach, Baptism. It also gives a general outline of the conflict with the Pharisees that led Jesus to be condemned to death.
The second book is devoted to Christian morality, it is presented in the form of a review of the Sermon on the Mount.
The third book is entirely devoted to the miracles performed by Christ. It explains what miracles are and why many people do not believe in them. How to relate a miracle to the faith of God. Each miracle is considered in detail in the book separately.
The fourth book is The Parables of Jesus. All the parables that the Gospel presents are considered here and set out in order. The author explains why Jesus chooses this particular genre for his disciples.
The fifth book is called The Lamb of God. It is dedicated to the original Gospel, it contains material that has no duplication in the Synoptic Gospels.
The sixth book is "Death and Resurrection". The author describes in it the last days of the life of Jesus Christ on Earth, his suffering on the cross, death, and then resurrection. About the appearances of the Savior to his disciples after the ascension to heaven.
On the basis of this spiritual epic, Metropolitan Hilarion will create textbooks for theological seminaries and schools.
Saint Hilarion - Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia
Speaking of our contemporary Metropolitan Hilarion, I would like to bow down and pay tribute to the departed Saint Hilarion, whose work has been remembered for almost a thousand years. Metropolitan Hilarion created the "Sermon on Law and Grace" in 1037-1050. This is the earliest work of ancient Russian literature, which introduced Christians to the grace and truth revealed to our people through Jesus.
The first Metropolitan Hilarion, after his death, was canonized as a saint. His memorial day is celebrated on August 28. Judging by the chronicles, Metropolitan Hilarion came from the family of a Nizhny Novgorod clergyman. Later he himself became a priest of the Court Church of the Holy Apostles in the village of Berestovo. Metropolitan Hilarion took the high post for his merits. Russia in those years was under the control of Yaroslav the Wise, who saw in the priest an outstanding figure of those times. Hilarion turned out to be a faithful like-minded person for the prince and an assistant in state and spiritual affairs.
In 1051, the Council of Russian Bishops appointed Hilarion the first Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia. Later it was approved by the Patriarch of Constantinople. The fact that the post of metropolitan was occupied by the Rusyns was regarded as the formation of the independence of the Kiev Metropolis from the main Greek one. Hilarion was once considered the best pastor, preacher, and had an excellent education. His activities coincided with the period of the establishment of Christianity in Russia. The metropolitan made a considerable contribution to this work, his written works glorified the faith of Christ, showed its superiority over the old faith. Much to our regret, Hilarion did not stay for long, and in 1054 he retired from administration. He died in 1067 in the Kiev Caves Monastery, was glorified in the Face of the Saints.
Most recently, the respected and well-known Metropolitan Hilarion turned 50 years old. During this time, he managed to very successfully demonstrate his writing, composing, diplomatic, oratorical and, of course, priestly and theological talents, which the Lord awarded him.
The life of Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev linked him forever with Orthodoxy. Having taken tonsure at the age of 20, the future metropolitan did not even think about what he would be like at 30 or 50 years old. However, he had no doubts that he wanted to devote himself to the church. Never, not for a single minute Alfeev Hilarion did not regret it.
Some people asked him: wouldn't it be better to do what you love - to conduct an orchestra or write music? However, the ministry of the Church of Christ always remained the main thing for him, and then everything else was built around this.
Meaning of life
For many years he preached Christ through the music, books, TV shows and films he created. But for himself, he constantly discovered the Savior of the world again and again. All the activity of the metropolitan was motivated by the following factor: when he wrote or said something, he first revealed it and passed it through himself, and only then gave it to people.
Attitude towards death
The topic of death first excited him in kindergarten, when Alfeev was 5 or 6 years old. One day he suddenly realized that all the children would die. So he is too. Then the still completely unintelligent boy began to ask questions to adults. True, he does not remember the answers now, but this thought pierced and tormented his heart for a long time. In his youth, thoughts of death came to him again. After all, the answer to the question of why a person dies depends on the answer, for what he lives.
His favorite poet at that time was Federico Garcia Lorca, whose main poetic work was devoted to the theme of death. He did not know another such writer who thought and wrote so much about his death. Through his poems, he predicted and survived his tragic death. After graduating from music school, Alfeev Ilarion, inspired by the work of this poet, prepared for the final exam the composition of the vocal cycle “Songs of Death” based on his poems for tenor and piano.
fracture
And then it so happened that his coming to church service coincided with several deaths at once, which he experienced very hard. The first tragedy that shocked his young twelve-year-old mind was the death of his forty-year-old violin teacher Vladimir Litvinov. The teacher was for him an impeccable authority, an intelligent, subtle and restrained person who knew his subject perfectly, who was simply adored by all his students and colleagues. He died suddenly: right at the lesson, his heart stopped. Hilarion was at his funeral. And this was the first death in his still completely inexperienced life, which turned everything inside him upside down.
Then, after a while, his grandmother died, followed by Hilarion's sister and father. Alfeev wanted to understand what was happening around him, with people close to him. At one fine moment, he realized that only faith in God could give the answer. Even if it strengthens us, then our whole nature resists death. And all because the Lord created us not for death, but for immortality. A person can even protest against the inevitability of the end of earthly days. However, it is important to comprehend and understand why death is necessary, what awaits us in connection with it. It is the Christian faith that provides answers to these questions.
Hilarion Alfeev: "Orthodoxy" and other works
Recently, his new literary creation "The Beginning of the Gospel" was released. For at least 25 years, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev has been working towards this work. The books represent his valuable experience, which he wants to pass on to those who yearn to know the truth. He has been fascinated with writing ever since he began lecturing on the gospel at the Holy Trinity Institute (1992-1993). Then he really came into contact with the study of the New Testament, which he read from childhood, as well as with its interpretation and other literature. There were always few publications needed, and access to them was limited at that time.
Hilarion's theological activity revolved mainly on the teachings of the Holy Fathers. He wrote and defended dissertations on Simeon the New Theologian and Issac the Syrian. Then all his thoughts poured into the book "Orthodoxy". At first, he began writing this work of his with Christ, but then almost immediately, for some reason, switched to other topics. Then Hilarion Alfeev realized that he had not yet matured to write about Jesus. Although Christ from the age of 10 occupied his entire mind.
Today Alfeev Hilarion has collected gigantic material and written six new books about Christ. Just recently the first book came out. Ilarion Alfeev wrote it with love. Jesus Christ: life and doctrine. The Beginning of the Gospel” is its name. It contains general information about the six editions, and then goes on to talk about the state of New Testament scholarship, where it discusses and interprets the initial Gospel chapters.
The second book is entirely devoted to the Sermon on the Mount (a review of Christian morality). The third is the miracles of Christ. The fourth is called The Parables of Jesus. The fifth is the "Lamb of God". This book is dedicated to all the material in the Gospel of John. Completes the cycle of books about Christ - "Death and Resurrection". All this was done in order to prepare the basis for theological schools. And here the books of Hilarion Alfeev are an excellent help for them.
Service
The Metropolitan's daily routine is subordinated to his official duties. He is the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, a permanent member of the Holy Synod, the rector of the General Church Postgraduate School and the rector of the temple. And he also heads many different commissions and working groups of various projects.
Hilarion himself believes that Orthodox worship is a kind of very peculiar and unique synthesis of the arts, which includes icons and frescoes, the architecture of the temple itself, music, singing and reading, prose and poetry that sound in the temple, as well as a kind of choreography - during the procession of the entrances and exits, bows.
All human senses participate in Orthodox worship - sight, hearing, smell (incense), touch (applying to icons), taste (taking Communion, holy water and prosphora). Worship should embrace the whole person. He must completely immerse himself in it with prayer, not turn off from worldly life and fuss. And for this it would be good for everyone to know the dogmas and the Bible.
Hilarion Alfeev: biography
In the world he was called Alfeev Grigory Valerievich. The future metropolitan was born on June 24, 1966 in a family where grandfather G. M. Dashevsky was a historian. He wrote books about the Spanish Civil War, died during the Great Patriotic War in 1944. Dashevsky Valery Grigorievich - Grigory's father. He was a doctor of physical and mathematical sciences, who worked on scientific papers. First he left the family, and then an accident ended his life.
The biography of Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev says that he grew up in an educated and intelligent family. The mother of Grigory Valery Alfeeva was a writer, who had the share of one to raise her son. She baptized him when he was 11 years old.
School of Music
Many are interested in the question: Is Hilarion Alfeev married? No, he does not have a wife because he is a monk. From the age of 15, he was already a reader in the Church of the Resurrection of the Word on the Assumption Vrazhek in Moscow. He was predicted to have an excellent musical career. Since 1973, he studied at the Gnesins' music school, violin class. Then he continued his education at the Moscow State Conservatory under the guidance of A. A. Nikolaev. Behind her was a two-year military service in a brass band. Upon returning home, Alfeev became a novice of the Vilna Holy Spirit Monastery.
Since 1983, the future Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev served as subdeacon to Metropolitan Pitirim (Nechaev) of Volokolamsk. His biography further tells that in the summer of 1987 he was ordained a hieromonk. Then he served as rector of many churches in the Lithuanian diocese. Then he was appointed rector of the Kaunas Annunciation Cathedral. In 1989, Alfeev graduated from the Theological Seminary, followed by the Theological Academy in Moscow. In 1993, his postgraduate studies at the MDA ended. From 1991 to 1993 Hilarion was a teacher of Holy Scripture, Greek, homiletics and dogmatic theology.
Oxford and creative ideas
After some time, he was sent for an internship at Oxford University, where he studied Syriac and worked on his dissertation. He combined his studies with service in the Sourozh diocese. After graduating from the university in 1995 with a doctorate in philosophy, he began serving in the Moscow Patriarchate as the secretary of inter-Christian relations. Since 1995, he taught patrology at the Theological Seminaries of Kaluga and Smolensk. The following year he lectured on dogmatic theology at the Alaska Theological Seminary.
From the beginning of 1996, he served in the Church of St. Catherine in Moscow. In 1999 he defended his doctorate in theology in Paris. At the same time, he worked as the host of the television program "Peace to your home." Soon, wonderful educational books by Hilarion Alfeev appeared, among which “The Sacred Mystery of the Church” is an introduction to the problems, the history of the imyaslav disputes, a monograph that was the first in Russian science to systematically explore the disputes of theologians and philosophers about the veneration of the name of the Lord, which originated at the very beginning of the 20th century. century on Athos, and then in Russia.
Ilarion Alfeev created many other interesting and unique works. "The Sacrament of Faith" is a book that is an introduction to Orthodox dogmatic theology. It can be read not only by students of theological seminaries and academies. It is designed primarily for a wide range of readers, as well as those who want to come to the depths of the Orthodox faith. In 2001, he received the rank of bishop of Kerch, and in 2002, at the Smolensk Cathedral, he received the rank of archimandrite.
Sourozh diocese
In 2002, he was sent to serve as a vicar in the Sourozh diocese to Metropolitan Anthony Bloom. However, very soon a group of priests came out against him, led by Bishop Basil (Osborne). As a result, in 2010, he withdrew from his rank and monasticism in connection with the desire to find a family hearth and wife.
Then Hilarion is attacked by a critical speech by Bishop Anthony of Surozh, who gives him time to delve into the essence of the diocese and make a decision for himself: whether to continue his ministry here in accordance with the norms that have already existed for a little more than half a century. . Bishop Anthony did not hide his attitude towards the young priest. And he noted that he bows before his merits. But if their views on the main issues do not converge and they cannot combine their efforts, work as a single team, then it would be better for them to disperse.
Bishop Hilarion immediately came up with an answer. He denied all accusations against him. In general, the confrontation ended with the fact that Alfeev was recalled from the Sourozh diocese and appointed vicar of Moscow, Bishop of Podolsk and the main representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in European organizations, where he was actively involved in information activities.
Wherever Alfeev spoke, he always emphasized the importance of Christianity, which is already more than 2000 years old. According to Bishop Hilarion, Europe's denial of its Christian roots is simply unacceptable, because it is the main moral and spiritual component that predetermines European identity.
Merits
In 2003, Alfeev was appointed Bishop of Vienna and Austria. In 2009, he was elected Bishop of Volokolamsk, a permanent member of the Synod and vicar of the Moscow Patriarch. And at the same time, he became rector of the Church of the Virgin "Joy of All Who Sorrow" on Bolshaya Ordynka. For his diligent service, Patriarch Kirill consecrated him to the rank of archbishop and appointed him as a representative of an organization that involved interaction with religious associations and communities under the auspices of the President of the Russian Federation. In 2010, for personal merits, Patriarch Kirill consecrated him to the rank of metropolitan.
Over the years, in many international inter-Christian forums, Alfeev zealously represented the interests of the Russian Orthodox Church. From 2009 to 2013, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev was appointed to the Orthodox Religious Commission. Here he worked on the adopted Equal document, which spelled out the position of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Ukraine
When terrible events took place in Ukraine in 2014, Hilarion was invited by the Metropolitan of Dnepropetrovsk UOC-MP to a celebration dedicated to his 75th birthday. Upon arrival at the Dnipropetrovsk airport, Metropolitan Alfeev was notified in writing that he was forbidden to enter Ukraine. Then he demanded an explanation and an apology, which, unfortunately, never came. Then, right at the border control point, he read a congratulation from the Patriarch of Moscow and presented the Patriarch of Serbia with the Order of St. Prince. Moscow I degree.
Love for music
Illarion did not abandon his musical education, but through it began to bring people faith in Christ. In 2006-2007, he created the Divine Liturgy for the mixed choir, followed by the All-Night Vigil, the Christmas Oratorio for the symphony orchestra. And, finally, he created the oratorio for soloists and the choir "St. Matthew Passion", which sounded all over the world and was performed in Russia, Canada and Australia. From 2007 to 2012, the oratorio was performed almost fifty times. The audience gave a standing ovation. In general, his music was highly appreciated by professional musicians who took part in its performance.
The premiere of "Christmas Oratorios", which took place in Washington, was met with a standing ovation. Then the success was confirmed in New York, Boston and, of course, Moscow. The divine music of Hilarion penetrated the soul of every person. He even performed Bach's oratorio, filling it with the canonical Orthodox spirit. There was some criticism of his music, but it was insignificant. In 2011, the Metropolitan, in collaboration with V. Spivakov, created the annual Moscow Christmas Festival of Sacred Music, which took place on the eve of holy holidays.
Movies
Bishop Hilarion did not stop at music and went further - he became the host of a cycle of documentary general educational films "The Way of the Shepherd" (2011), "A Man Before God" (2011), "The Church in History" (2012), "Journey to Athos" (2012) , "Pilgrimage to the Holy Land" (2013) and many other educational documentary Christian films. In 2014, he also made films: "Orthodoxy in Georgia", "With the Patriarch on Mount Athos", "Orthodoxy in the Serbian Lands" and others.
Awards
Metropolitan Hilarion was awarded a huge number of awards: the Order of St. Evangelist Mark II Art. (Alexandria HRC), the Order of Friendship (2011), the Order of St. Constantine the Great (Serbian HRC, 2011), the Order of the Commander's Cross (Hungary, 2013), the Order of Merit III class. (2013, Ukraine). It is not possible to enumerate the entire list.
Very wise, bright and unique Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev. This is a man with a scientific mindset, who is the author of more than 700 publications and monographs on patristics, dogma, and church history. In addition, he translated from the Greek and Syrian works of the Holy Fathers. It is impossible not to agree that not everyone manages to reach such heights in such a short time. One gets the feeling that he sees something that many people in their spiritual development have not yet matured to see.
Criticism
A little embarrassed some Orthodox, who are always on the alert, Hilarion Alfeev. The liturgy in the brochure, which was distributed free of charge on Easter days in the church where he serves, contained some "amendments" to the traditional definition of the church in the Creed. But critics did not take into account the fact that the meaning does not change from this and, with a more accurate translation from Greek, it sounds exactly like that.
A number of theological constructions of Metropolitan Hilarion were also criticized by some Orthodox theologians, such as Valentin Asmus, Yuri Maksimov, and the late Daniil Sysoev. They also made critical claims against the famous professor of theology Alexei Ilyich Osipov. However, people did not begin to love them less, since in the Orthodox faith they are spiritually pure sources that quench their thirst for knowledge about God. After all, no one comes to the well if there is no water there.
Conclusion
According to Hilarion Alfeev, it becomes clear that every priest must be able to tell people about Christ in such a way that their hearts ignite and their eyes light up. And for this to happen, the priests themselves must live by what they pray and talk about. First of all, they need to stir up a constant interest in the Gospel, the church, its dogmas and sacraments in themselves. And most importantly, they need to be able to talk about complex things in a simple, understandable and accessible language for people.
4 (80%) 4 votes
We can't ignore the extremely curious news published yesterday on the website of the parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in Alchevsk, as well as the second - less emotional and more theologically verified - from the RusFront website.
Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev, well known to the Old Believers as a specialist in ancient Russian worship, love for Catholicism and the ideological inspirer of a number of educational initiatives about the Russian faith, has published a new manual for Russian-speaking laity. It's about what he created. "cover version" fundamentals of Orthodox teaching.
Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), an extremely versatile personality, decided to try himself as an interpreter (translator)
Thinkers and seekers take note, and we pass the floor to the attentive readers of this work, designed for an audience of 100,000 people.
BY THE WAY:
A few years ago, the metropolitan already touched on interfaith topics “not very” in the style of Orthodox teaching. Now writing books...
https://youtu.be/GvcQMi1lsn8
QUESTION RUSSIA-24: Can Catholics take communion in the Orthodox Church or Orthodox Christians?
Orthodox should not take communion from Catholics, and Catholics should not take communion from Orthodox. This is due to the fact that since the 11th century the Eucharistic communion between the Orthodox and Catholic churches has been broken.
The problem here is that we did not arrange this schism, and it is not in our power to restore Eucharistic communion now if it is not restored at the highest church level. Another thing is that there are exceptional cases when, for example, a Catholic dies somewhere in a city where there is no Catholic priest nearby at all, he invites an Orthodox priest. In this case, I think, an Orthodox priest should come and give communion to this person.
Question RUSSIA-24: That is, Vladyka, it turns out that the mutual recognition of the Eucharist still makes this schism healable?
Answer of Mr. Hilarion Alfeev: We actually have a mutual recognition of the sacraments. We do not have fellowship in the sacraments, but we recognize the sacraments. Because, for example, if a Catholic priest converts to Orthodoxy, we accept him as a priest, we do not ordain him again. This means that de facto we recognize the sacraments of the Catholic Church.
SYMBOLICALLY…
350 years after the schism, leading theologians have again turned to the topic of translating our cornerstone - Creed. Any attempt to change it was a priori classified by the holy fathers as heresy. As a sin, the rethinking again touched the very place from which Patriarch Nikon began his bloody reforms.
Strictly speaking, the current official Nikonian creed (which does not name the Lord "True") leaves much to be desired, but new horizons for creativity are already opening up here ...
Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) changed the 9th part of the Creed in the manual he published for the laity
On bright Easter days in Moscow churches, in particular, in the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”, where the chairman of the DECR MP, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), serves, the brochure “The Divine Liturgy of St. Chrysostom with a parallel translation into Russian, compiled by Bishop Hilarion himself[ 1 ].
In a pamphlet published by him, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) made an "amendment" to the traditional definition of the Church in the Creed.
First of all, it would be strange, of course, if such a zealous philocatholic as a permanent member of the Holy Synod, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), did not distort the Dogma about the Holy Spirit - the Achilles heel of papism. And so it happened. His “free” translation, where the “Life-Giving” Spirit is called “revitalizing” (and with a small letter!) is extremely indicative. But this is at least a gag.
Translation of the Symbol of the New Believer Faith as edited by Metropolitan Hilarion The Orthodox were more embarrassed by the change made by Metropolitan Hilarion to the ninth article of the Creed, which in his translation reads as follows: "I believe ... in one Holy, ecumenical and apostolic Church" . Most commentators pay attention to the difference between the Orthodox and Catholic understandings of the Greek term καθολικὴν (catholic, catholic, universal, ecumenical): if the Orthodox emphasize the conciliar nature of the Church, then the Catholics emphasize its universality, globality.
For information: the correct Symbol of Faith (read by the Old Believers)
I believe into one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesusa Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, Who was born of the Father before all ages. Light from Light, true God, true from God. Born a not created, consubstantial with the Father, by Him all was. For us for the sake of man, and for our sake of salvation, descended from heaven, and incarnated from the Spirit of the Holy and Mary the Virgin _ becoming human. Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffering and buried. And resurrected on the third day according to Scripture their. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And packs of the future with glory to judge the living and the dead. His own kingdom carry end. And in the Holy Spirit, Lord True and the Life-Giving One, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and with the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke to the prophets. And into one Holy cathedral and the apostolic church. I confess one baptism, for the remission of sins. Resurrection tea is dead th. And the life of the age to come, amen.
So what prevented Metropolitan Hilarion from using the word “cathedral” (Church)? It can be assumed that, introducing the word “universal” into the translation of the Creed, Metropolitan Hilarion wanted to emphasize that fundamental decisions in the Church are made exclusively by the hierarchy, without coordination with other clergy and laity, who are also part of the fullness of the Church. The entire history of the Ecumenical Councils testifies to this. In other words, it is easier to push through all sorts of modernist and liberal initiatives, such as: the translation of worship into Russian (Russification of worship), attempts to “clarify” the allegedly already inaccurate church calendar, “optimize” fasts, and in fact their gradual abolition, inoculation flock of philocatholic and ecumenical sentiments, etc. At the word "cathedral" (the Church), all such initiatives inevitably run into sharp rejection and opposition from the clergy and laity, which, of course, is an inconvenience for homegrown zealots of renovationism.
iconographic image. Creed: no need to invent anything! Do not forget that the ancestors knew ... So, we see here not only a brazen substitution, but in fact slipping instead of the term “ecumenical”, in fact, such a property of the Church invented by heretics as “ecumenical” (this is how this term will sound translated into most European languages).
When people thoughtlessly pray at the Divine Liturgy according to the books of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), accepting the distorted meaning of the Niceno-Tsargrad Creed as truth, then in reality they profess a faith that is different from the faith that Orthodox Christians have been professing for 2000 years. In this case, the people openly profess non-Orthodox teaching in an Orthodox church and thereby move away from Christ, the Truth and the Church!
The prophecies of the elders about the change in the pre-Tichrist times of the Creed will not necessarily be fulfilled by the letter (for example, by adding the "Filioque", as some expect), but quite in a Jesuit way - by changing the meaning of the text. After all, in this way it will be much easier for the servants of the Antichrist to achieve mass acceptance of these distortions by the Orthodox people, which will happen when the heretical opinion of individual hierarchs is reinforced by the general church decisions of the councils.
Let us recall that Metropolitan Hilarion has long been known for his sympathy for Roman Catholicism and his numerous meetings with the Pope. In a number of interviews, he stated that he did not consider Catholics a community separated from the Church and even proposed a moratorium on the patristic term "heresy" in relation to the Roman Catholic Church.
1. “The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom with a parallel translation into Russian” (Under the general editorship of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) of Volokolamsk. M., Nicaea Publishing House, 2016. Circulation 110,000 copies)
A source: alchevskpravoslavniy.ru
OPINION 2
How the Creed is changed
Analysis by Archpriest Igor Tarasov of the publication of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom with a parallel translation into Russian by Met. Hilarion.
On these Paschal days in our churches, a booklet by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) "The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom with a parallel translation into Russian" is distributed free of charge in our churches (Moscow, edition of "Nicaea", 2016. Circulation 110 thousand copies)
In the preface we read:
“One of the difficulties that a person who comes to a church faces is the difficulty of Orthodox worship for its perception. A person of modern culture needs to spend a lot of time and effort to begin to understand the theological depths of the poetic images contained in the liturgical texts of the Orthodox Church…. This publication is a guide for those who want to better understand Orthodox worship. The Church Slavonic text ... is given here in parallel with the new verified Russian translation.
In the little book we will not find explanations for the Liturgy, only a translation. Let's see how, according to the author, the new and carefully adjusted Russian translation allows modern man to understand theological depths.
One or United?
St. Philaret of Moscow wrote in his Long Catechism: "The creed is the doctrine of what Christians should believe, stated in short but precise words."
When the whole church sings the Creed at the Liturgy, a person holding Metropolitan Hilarion's little book in his hands can understand that the Church Slavonic words: “I believe in the One God the Father…” mean in Russian: “I believe in the One God the Father…”.
This interpretation could be attributed to the field of humor, or, in extreme cases, illiterate translation (dictionaries unequivocally translate from the Church Slavonic “One” - as “One” or “Only”), if it were not for our alertness to the heresy preached today in our Church ecumenism.
A person of modern culture does not need to toil with uncertainty: “In the same God with whom do I believe?”. Thanks to the 2006 World Summit, he is already aware that we have the One Almighty with Muslims and Jews (see: http://pravoslavye.org.ua/2006/08/poslanie_vsemirnogo..)
Patriarch Kirill (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJT0lUoOAU) and Metropolitan Hilarion (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tffKHNj03vc) repeatedly preached the same idea.
The same distortion of meaning is committed in the 9th article of the Creed: "Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church" translated not as “Into one Holy, catholic and apostolic Church” (Greek Εις Μίαν = into one), but: “Into one Holy, ecumenical and apostolic Church” (while the line below “one baptism” is translated as “one baptism” ).
ecumenical term"One Church" is the main goal of the painstaking, almost century-old activity of the worldwide ecumenical movement and implies the unification of all the churches in the world into the World Church (first of all Christian denominations, and then of all other religious organizations) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =jTq7u0CEj6U)
Cathedral or Ecumenical?
In the Niceno-Tsaregrad Creed, the Greek term καθολικὴν (catholic, universal, ecumenical) is translated and, most importantly, understood differently by the Orthodox and Catholic denominations.
Until 1054, the Church carried the light of the Truth of Christ to the whole world, was truly universal and ecumenical, but after its apostasy, separation, the Vatican appropriated the name of the universal (Catholic) Church and for 10 centuries has been trying to subjugate the whole world with a stick and a carrot (sword and dagger).
Therefore, the Russian Church, in order to avoid consonance with Latinism, adopted the translation καθολικὴν = catholic, as a synonym for universal.
Today, when most of the countries of the West are Protestant and Catholic, the return of the term "universal Church" is a distortion of the dogma about the Church as the Body of Christ, to which neither schismatics (Roman Catholics) nor heretics (Protestants, Copts, Armenians) can belong, and gives the Church, in which we believe, the ecumenical meaning of the One World Church.
Thus, the Russian translation of the ancient Creed in such a massively published brochure is a sly sermon of the all-heresy of ecumenism and shows how Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) understands the theological meaning of the Niceno-Tsaregrad Creed.
So when you and I pronounce these words at the Divine Liturgy in the same church with the metropolitan, then in reality we already profess, perhaps, a different faith ...
The prophecies of the elders about the change in the pre-Tichrist times of the Creed will not necessarily be fulfilled by the letter (for example, by adding the "Filioque", as some expect), but quite in a Jesuit way - by changing the meaning of the text.
So it is much easier to achieve mass uncomplaining acceptance of these distortions by the Orthodox people, which will happen when the heretical opinion of individual hierarchs is enshrined in church-wide decisions of councils, especially the coming Pan-Orthodox
DIRECT SPEECH:
According to Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church MP Hilarion:
“We do not have an official statement or document on this issue, however, practice shows that the validity of the Sacraments is mutually recognized by Orthodox and Catholics. How is this confirmed? Firstly, by the fact that if a person is baptized in the Catholic Church and decides to accept Orthodoxy, we do not baptize him a second time, but we consider him already baptized. Moreover, if a Catholic priest converts to Orthodoxy, we do not ordain him a second time, but we accept him as a priest, and he becomes an Orthodox clergyman. Even if the Pope of Rome wants to convert to Orthodoxy, he will be considered a bishop with us - we will not consecrate him again to the episcopal rank. What does it say? That there is actually mutual recognition of the Sacraments between Orthodox and Catholics.” (from the article “Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk Lecture on Relations with Catholicism and Protestantism at MEPhI continued the special course “History of Christian Thought”” http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/3277221.html)
You just need a form...
Related material:
For information: The pre-schism text of the Creed, preserved by the Old Believers
Blitz analysis of the first part of the declaration on one page from another source
A rich photo report on the appointment of the bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church and a sketch of the modern life of the true Church.
Scientifically substantiated exposure of the scientific version of world history from specialists from the authorized commission of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Selected materials:
A selection of materials on the topic of the relationship between religious and secular perception of the world, including the headings "", "", materials "", information, as well as readers of the site "Old Believer Thought".
Metropolitan Hilarion (Grigory Alfeev) - hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, head of the DECR MP, member of the Holy Synod, historian, Orthodox composer, translator of works on dogmatic theology from Syriac and Greek.
The future hierarch was born on July 24, 1966 in Moscow in the family of Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Valery Grigorievich Dashevsky and writer Valeria Anatolyevna Alfeeva, from whose pen the collections “Colored Dreams”, “Jvari”, “Called, Chosen, Faithful”, “ Wanderers”, “Pilgrimage to Sinai”, “Non-Evening Light”, “Holy Sinai”.
Paternal grandfather Grigory Markovich Dashevsky gained fame thanks to historical works on the Spanish Civil War. The boy was named Gregory at birth. The marriage of the parents did not last long - soon the father left the family.
When the boy was 12 years old, Valery Grigoryevich died in an accident. Valeria Anatolyevna took all responsibility for raising her son. At an early age, Grigory began to study at the music school at the Gnesinsky College. The boy's first and favorite violin teacher was Vladimir Nikolaevich Litvinov.
In 1977, Gregory underwent the sacrament of baptism. Hilarion the New became the heavenly patron of the youth, whose day is celebrated on June 6 according to the old style. The history of the Orthodox Church knows two more great righteous people - the ancient Russian Metropolitan Hilarion of Kiev and Hilarion, Abbot of Pelikitsky. The saints became famous for the exploits of the monastic immaculate life.
In 1981, the young man began church service as a reader of the Resurrection Church in the Assumption Vrazhok area. Two years later, he began to serve as a subdeacon under Metropolitan Pitirim of the Volokolamsk and Yuryev diocese, and also to work part-time in the publishing house of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Metropolitan Hilarion in the army Having entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1984 with a degree in composition, the young man immediately went to the army for two years. Alfeev was assigned to the company of the army band of the border troops. Returning to Moscow in 1986, Grigory was restored at the university and studied for a year in the class of Professor Alexei Nikolaev.
Service
In 1987, Alfeev decided to leave worldly life and took monastic tonsure at the Vilna Holy Spirit Monastery. Archbishop Viktorin of Vilna and Lithuania ordained a new monk to the hierodeacons. On the feast of the Transfiguration, Hilarion accepted the rank of hieromonk, and for 2 years the young priest was appointed rector of churches in the villages of Kolainiai and Tituvenai of the Vilnius and Lithuanian diocese. In the same years, Alfeev graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary, the Moscow Theological Academy and received a PhD in theology.
Hilarion does not stop there and becomes a graduate student of the Moscow Academy of Arts, and then a student at Oxford. In the UK, Alfeev studies Greek and Syriac under the guidance of Sebastian Brock, defends his doctoral dissertation "St. Simeon the New Theologian and Orthodox Tradition". In parallel with his scientific activities, Hilarion does not leave the ministry in the church. A young priest ministers to the parishioners of churches in the Sourozh diocese.
Since 1995, the Doctor of Philosophy and Theology has become an employee of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, a teacher of patrology in the seminaries of Kaluga and Smolensk. Hilarion lectures on dogmatic theology in different parts of the world: in Orthodox seminaries in Alaska, in New York, in Cambridge. On Easter 2000, Hilarion is elevated to the rank of abbot, and a year later Alfeev takes the bishopric in the Kerch diocese, which is located in the UK. He also becomes the vicar of Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom).
Bishopric
In 2002, on the feast of the Circumcision of the Lord, Hilarion accepted the bishopric and served for a year in the Podolsk diocese. The Patriarchate instructed the young bishop to participate in the international meetings of the European Union, at which issues of religious tolerance and tolerance were resolved.
In 2003, Hilarion was appointed Bishop of Vienna and Austria. Under Alfeev, restoration work is being carried out on two large churches of the diocese - the Vienna Cathedral of St. Nicholas and the Church of Lazarus of the Four Days. In addition to the main ministry, the bishop continues to work in the representation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Brussels.
Since 2005, Alfeev has been Privatdozent of theology at the University of Friborg. In 2009, he assumed the post of chairman of the DECR of the Moscow Patriarchate, was ordained to the archbishop's rank, and was appointed vicar of Patriarch Kirill. A year later he becomes a metropolitan.
Social activity
In the late 90s, Hilarion began social activities, becoming the host of the Peace to Your Home program, which aired on the TVC channel. Alfeev openly enters into a dialogue with unchurched persons, explaining the features of the Orthodox faith. Hilarion manages to explain complex theological concepts and terms in a simple and accessible language, thereby making Orthodoxy closer to people who want to understand its essence. In the early 2000s, the fundamental work of the bishop “The Sacred Mystery of the Church. Introduction to the history and problems of the imyaslav disputes.
Metropolitan Hilarion is a member of the editorial boards of the Orthodox publications Theological Works, The Church and Time, Bulletin of the Russian Christian Movement, Studio Monastica, and Byzantine Library. The doctor of theology has five hundred articles on the problems of dogmatics, patristics, and the history of the Orthodox Church. Alfeev creates books ". Life and Teaching”, “Catechism”, “Orthodox Witness in the Modern World”, “The Main Sacrament of the Church”, “Jesus Christ: God and Man” and others.
Hilarion manages to competently conduct a dialogue with the Gentiles as a member of the Executive and Central Committees of the World Council of Churches. Alfeev is a member of the commission for negotiations with the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany.
In 2009, he participated in the preparation of the year of Russian culture in Italy and Italian - in Russia, a year later, Hilarion was appointed a member of the Patriarchal Council for Culture and the Board of Trustees of the Russkiy Mir Foundation. In 2011, he heads the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission.
Music
Music occupies an important place in the biography of Metropolitan Hilarion. Since 2006, Alfeev has returned to composing, creating a number of compositions on Orthodox themes. These are, first of all, the Divine Liturgy and the All-Night Vigil, the Matthew Passion and the Christmas Oratorio. The theologian's works were warmly recognized by the creative community of performers, the music is successfully performed by symphonic and choir ensembles led by conductors Vladimir Fedoseyev, Valery Gergiev, Pavel Kogan, Dmitry Kitaenko and others. Concerts are held not only in Russia, but also in Greece, Hungary, Australia, Canada, Serbia, Italy, Turkey, Switzerland, USA.
Since 2011, Alfeev and Vladimir Spivakov have been organizing the Moscow Christmas Sacred Music Festival. A year later, the Volga Festival of Sacred Music starts, led by the violinist Dmitry Kogan along with Metropolitan Hilarion.
Personal life
Metropolitan Hilarion has been faithfully serving in the church since his youth, he was tonsured a monk at the age of 20, so there is no need to talk about Alfeev's personal life. His only beloved and dear person in the world remains his mother Valeria Anatolyevna. The whole life of Metropolitan Hilarion is subordinated to the service of the church.
The theologian works a lot on dogmatic works, participates in divine services, in organizing international and internal church projects and commissions. Alfeev is in active correspondence with Orthodox hierarchs, with non-Christians, diplomatic representatives of foreign states.
