Valuyskaya diocese: at the crossroads of opinions

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

In the film "Brother-2" there was a phrase that was remembered by the audience: "What is the strength?" The answer to this question has become a guide for those who have lost direction in times of change (1990). Years have passed, the format of life has changed, but the topic is still relevant today. But from the material plane, it passed into the realm of the spirit, although its meaning remained unchanged: people die for metal. However, given the signs of the times, and in the context of the events that took place in the Valuisky diocese, this phrase may sound differently: souls die for metal.

The southernmost city of the Belgorod region

The city of Valuiki was founded back in 1593 on the right bank of the river of the same name. Today, from this regional center to the border with Ukraine - 15 km. Belgorod, which is the regional center, is 152 km from the city of Valuyki. As it turned out during archaeological excavations, people lived in these places from the Paleolithic era to the Bronze Age inclusive. However, more discoveries are possible: the area is rich in surprises.

The history of the spiritual life of the Valui diocese cannot be called stable: in 1920the Valuysky vicariate was founded, subordinate to the Voronezh diocese. Bishop Philip Perov was appointed head of the department, who left his post two years later, evading schism.

I must say that the fate of this clergyman was not easy, as he could, he resisted the pressure of the relevant authorities, was arrested and exiled several times. In 1938, as Archbishop of Stalingrad and Astrakhan, Father Philip was arrested and sentenced to exile for 5 years, after which traces of him are lost.

And the Valui diocese remained decapitated for decades. And only in 2012 the situation changed.

New time

The newly established Valuisky and Alekseevsky diocese consists of 7 parishes of the Belgorod region: Alekseevsky, Valuysky, Veidelevsky, Volokonovsky, Krasnensky, Krasnogvardeisky, Rovensky. Each of them is a regional center. The Valui diocese has been subordinate to the Belgorod Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church since June 6, 2012. Previously, it was included in the Belgorod diocese.

Bishop Savva (in the world Evgeny Alekseevich Nikiforov) has headed the diocese of Valuysk and Alekseevsk since October 22, 2015, by decision of the Holy Synod. He is well versed in art, because he graduated from an art school in Voronezh. The urgent service of the future bishop fell on 1993-1995, after which he was accepted as a novice at the Zadonsky Nativity-Bogoroditsky Monastery, where he took monastic vows, receiving a new name - Savva. You can not do it this waysay that the bishop is a random person in the church.

Features of rural service

Archpriest Igor Rybalkin, or Father Igor, heads the parish with. Samarino, Krasnogvardeisky district. Those who are familiar with the peculiarities of existence in the countryside do not need to explain everyday details and the way of life of an ordinary resident of the Russian hinterland. Considering the mass exodus of young people from the villages, it is not difficult to guess who the rural parish consists of and what spiritual life is like in Samarino in general.

The duties of a priest include a lot of things: in modern terms, to activate the flock, to learn about the problems of each, to the extent possible, to take part in solving the difficulties of parishioners, to fulfill their immediate duties (services, funerals, christenings, prayers, etc.).). In addition, to do everything possible and impossible to restore the temple and maintain it in proper condition, and this, given the economic potential of the rural "electorate", is difficult to do. There are also responsibilities to his family, which also requires funds.

In addition to everything, there are, as it turned out, the duties of receiving important guests who control the "cleanliness of duty".

Issue price

Events unfolded in the following order: on the last day of March 2018, Bishop Savva, accompanied by assistants, among whom was his secretary Fr. Vadim (Lebedev), arrived in the village. Samarino to assist Fr. Igor in conducting the service, which was carried out with due piety. The guests of honor left, having received a kind of "thank you" envelope handed by Father Fr. Vadim.

However, something went wrong, so the next day in with. Samarino was again granted by the bishop's secretary for a preventive conversation with Fr. Igor, who was ready for certain troubles. The further development of events is recorded on an audio recording made by Fr. Igor and became public knowledge. This, it must be said, was greatly facilitated by the well-known blogger Kalakazo, at the suggestion of which the details of a private conversation between the two fathers of the Russian Orthodox Church became widely known and even, as they say, reached the presidential administration.

The essence of the conflict is that 6,000 rubles were missing from the notorious envelope, which extremely upset Bishop Savva and his retinue, including the assistant secretary. By the way, oh Vadim, according to the tax, was supposed to fuck from the service held by the bishop in the parish of the village. Samarino 500 rubles.

When listening to the recording, one gets the feeling of a trip in a time machine to the "Dashing 90s" station, where the "brothers" take the traveler and, by turning on the "electric memory", inspire the unfortunate thought that ingratitude is punishable.

And yet, judging by the conversation, this practice has been introduced in the diocese for a long time and everywhere, so the deviation from the rules so angered, according to the same Fr. Vadim, Venerable Bishop Savva.

Sediment remains

The scandal in the Valuisky diocese was widely publicized by the aforementioned Kalakazo and priest Georgy Maximov,who not only provided a recording of the conversation on his blog, but also gave him a qualified assessment from the point of view of the ethics of a clergyman. Then sanctions began:

• Father Vadim was dismissed from the position of secretary, he was recommended to apologize to Fr. Igor.
• The bishop stood aside due to the lack of evidence of his explicit participation in this incident: the official information of the diocese explains that "the demand for funds from the rector of the temple was the personal initiative of Priest Vadim Lebedev."
• Father Igor was charged with the duty to conduct daily services in the church in the city of Valuiki, which is 75 km from the village of Samarino. He was practically deprived of the opportunity to be at home, given the need to hold the All-Night Vigil on Sundays. According to reports, this method of correcting the behavior of misbehaving priests was often practiced in the diocese.

Regarding the last point, Bishop Savva explained that he chose such a schedule of service in the city parish in order to improve the difficult financial situation of Fr. Igor, and also with the aim of setting him on the right path, since the village priest did not always conscientiously fulfill his duties: this was especially true of the All-Night Vigil. However, under pressure from above, the church hierarch canceled the punishment of the rebellious priest.

Packs about the Valui diocese

5 months have passed since the scandal, the story has subsided, but here is the latest "news from the fields". Wishing to remain anonymous, a source from the Valuisky diocese reportedcollection of confidential information regarding the data of the passport of priests and members of their families. This whole initiative is justified by the need to update personal files.

There is a suspicion that it is needed to process loans for grass-roots ministers of the church. The initiator of the general data collection is still the same Fr. Vadim Lebedev. You can comment on this, of course, but is it worth the effort?

It's interesting: what would Jesus Christ do in this case, who, as you know, expelled merchants from the temple. It looks like the "catchers of human souls" have mixed up the direction and forgot about the purpose of their being in the bosom of the church.