The Old Believer Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia Kornily (secular name - Konstantin Titov) is the spiritual shepherd of about two million Old Believers living in Russia and the world. According to the deep conviction of the adherents of this religious movement, it is they who preach true, pure Orthodoxy, which was not distorted by the unfounded church reforms of the seventeenth century.
The history of the Old Believers is one of the saddest pages in the Russian Church. After all, Nikon's hasty transformations divided the Russian people along one of the most important signs for the Slavs - Faith in God. The split led to irreconcilable rivalry and mutual enmity between former fellow believers, who suddenly became enemies.
Old Believer Church - historical excursion
Old Believers arose in the second half of the 17th century, after a great church reform, which was carried out from 1653-1666 by Patriarch Nikon. The changes affected worship, rituals, texts of sacred books. For example, the sign of the cross with three fingers replaced the two-fingered one, the spelling of the name Jesus replaced the former spelling of Jesus, the triplepraising "hallelujah" has become the norm instead of double.
Quite an impressive part of the population and the clergy did not accept these innovations. This is how the Schism occurred and the Old Believers arose, which also split into two parts: the priestless, which does not recognize the clergy at all, and the priestly, who believes that priests are still needed for rituals and worship. Popovtsy were also called Beglopopovtsy because they became a haven for fugitive priests who denied Nikon's reforms.
The authorities began cruel persecution against the Old Believers and especially against their leader, Archpriest Avvakum, who is honored by the current Metropolitan Cornelius. Avvakum was once a close comrade-in-arms and assistant to Nikon, but did not accept his reformist reforms and devoted himself to the struggle for true Orthodoxy. The archpriest denounced ungodly innovations, wrote passionate petitions to the tsar, even in the face of death he was stubborn and did not abandon his views. Avvakum was burned in the spring of 1682, becoming a holy martyr for the true Faith for the Old Believers.
The authorities softened their attitude towards the Old Believer Church only two centuries later, when Alexander II signed a decree, according to which the Old Believers were allowed to worship freely, travel abroad, open schools, and hold public office. And in 1971, the Council of the Orthodox Church recognized the illegality of the "schism", which was adopted at the Councils of 1656 and 1667.
Metropolitan Cornelius - biography
The future Metropolitan Kornily (Titov Konstantin Ivanovich) was born on August 1, 1947 in a town near MoscowOrekhovo-Zueve. Both parents were Old Believers. His family did not live well, so in 1962, after the eighth grade, young Kostya had to go to work at a local cotton mill, where he worked for 35 years.
Konstantin Ivanovich constantly studied on the job. First, he completed his studies at an evening school, then at a technical school, and in 1972 he graduated from the Automotive Institute in Moscow. Diligence and a desire for education helped him go from a student to the head of the Quality Control Department (Department of Technical Control).
The beginning of the spiritual path
Since 1991, the future Metropolitan Kornily became the head of the church council of the city community of Old Believers. His mentor and spiritual teacher was the priest and rector of the Orekhovo-Zuevsky Church of the Virgin - Leonty Pimenov, who had a great influence on his student. In many ways, it was Father Leonty who convinced him to become a priest.
Church ministry
In the spring of 1997, Konstantin Titov gave a celibate dinner and was ordained a deacon by the Old Believer Metropolitan Alimpiy. In March 2004, Deacon Konstantin was elevated to the rank of priest by Metropolitan Adrian. The newly minted priest became the second priest in the Church of the Holy Mother of God, in the same one where he took his first steps in church service under the leadership of Leonty Pimenov.
Already in October 2004, Priest Konstantin was named among the candidates for the rank of bishop of the Kazan-Vyatka diocese. In March 2005 Konstantin acceptedtonsured a priestly monk and was named Cornelius. And two months later, on May 7, Metropolitan Adrian ordained Konstantin to the high rank of bishop. But he did not stay long in this rank. On October 18 of the same year, after the third vote, the 58-year-old bishop received the archpastoral title - Metropolitan Cornelius of the Old Believers. In just eight years, this purposeful and energetic man climbed the church ladder from the rank of deacon to the highest church rank.
Views and activities
Metropolitan Cornelius of the Old Believers in religious views and actions adheres to the course of Metropolitan Adrian, his predecessor. His ideas are simple and clear. First of all, it is necessary to overcome the spiritual and cultural isolation of the Old Believer Church in the life of Russia. People should learn more about the purest Orthodox faith of the forefathers, the faith that Nikon's reforms did not touch. In addition, the Old Believers are a treasury of Russian general culture, preserving for centuries elements of the Old Russian tradition: spiritual poems, songs, words.
During his archpastoral activity, Metropolitan Cornelius ordained three bishops and dozens of priests, readers, deacons. During the year he visits all the dioceses subordinate to him. Actively communicates with local and federal authorities. In the spring of 2017, he met with Vladimir Putin, to whom he spoke about the problems and aspirations of the Old Believer Church. According to the metropolitan, the president will try to help resolve such important issues as the allocation of money for the return of foreign Old Believers to their homeland andtransfer of temples to the use of the Old Believer Church.
