Synodal Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church for interaction with the Cossacks
By decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in March 2010, the Synodal Committee for Interaction with the Russian Cossacks was formed. There are Cossacks by blood, and there are those who, wanting to serve the Fatherland, joined the Cossack society. To become a Cossack, one must pass an interview with the confessor of the community, with the ataman, stay on probation for at least a year, having studied the history of the Cossacks and their traditions, as well as the basics of Orthodox dogma. After this, the rite of imposition into the Cossacks takes place: in the temple, with the Cossack brothers, before the cross and the Gospel, a person takes an oath and undertakes to serve the Fatherland, the Cossacks and the Orthodox faith. This is an oath to God, it is given until the end of life.
The question whether a non-Orthodox person can become a Cossack in multinational Russia is not so easy to answer. The ROC is committed to peace and successfully conducts interfaith dialogue. The non-Orthodox were drafted into the Cossack societies, as a rule, during hostilities and then returned home. In our time, there are representatives of Buddhism and Islam in the Cossacks. But traditionally the Cossacks are an Orthodox army.
"At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Cossacks suffered greatly - they were destroyed along with the Church. She got up from her knees for a long time, the Cossacks were also hard to revive," said father Timofey Chaikin. “Today, the state provides great opportunities to serve. Since the 1990s The Church and the Cossacks go hand in hand, we have many important areas of activity, which are based on the commandments of Christ our Savior. God willing, the Cossacks will not perish and will be protected by the Lord."
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said about the Cossacks: "In my deep conviction, the Cossacks are a certain way of life. This is not an ethnic group, it is not even a cultural group, although external cultural factors and attributes play a very important role for the self-organization and self-understanding of the Cossacks. First of all, it is a way of life, and if we talk about a way of life, we must always mean a certain foundation on which this way of life is built. Because without a single foundation there cannot be a single way of life, and in relation to the Cossacks, there cannot be a single Cossacks. If we do not agree on what is the foundation of the Cossack way of life, we thereby refuse that the Cossacks are a single family.
"So what is the basis of the lifestyle of the Cossack? This is, first of all, the Orthodox faith and love for the Fatherland. Love extending to readiness to lay down one's life for the Fatherland. That is why the Cossacks were the backbone of the state, the backbone of national life. Where various kinds of unrest, divisions, conflicts took place, the Cossacks, standing up for the defense of the Fatherland, turned out to be the force that was able to influence the warring so that the hostility ceased. When it became difficult for our Motherland, when an external danger threatened its very existence, then it was the Cossacks who became the vanguard, defending not only the borders, but the entire Fatherland. And we know what a huge role the Cossack formations played in the wars waged by Russia in the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century....
"Today, belonging to the Orthodox Church is a free choice, just as belonging to the Cossacks is a free choice. And if you put on a Cossack uniform, this means that your Cossacks will be authentic only when you become churched Orthodox people. And without this, the hobby may soon pass....
"Belonging to the Church contributes to the growth of a person in self-discipline. Why? Because there are certain restrictions that bring up the will of a person. ... I know that many Cossacks do not fully fast. I do not demand from you now that you all begin to fast as you should, because this is often associated with production problems and some family difficulties. But what is the post for? Fasting is needed in order for a person to cultivate his will. And if we are so weak that we cannot deny ourselves the taste of fast food, then will we have the strength to defend our Motherland? Do we have the strength to go to other self-restraints? Fasting is a certain indicator of a person's ability to limit his needs, to mobilize his will. And if in such a simple matter we cannot, should we aim for great things? Should we say that we are involved in the great Cossack tradition? We should think about this....
"The most important ideology, the political ideology of the Cossacks is love for the Fatherland, it is the protection of state foundations, the unity and integrity of the country, the preservation of its true sovereignty. When I speak of true sovereignty, I mean the sad fact that most of the world's countries, while called sovereign, are not so today. Not only because more powerful forces can have an irresistible influence on the political choice of these countries, but also because the cultural and spiritual sovereignty of peoples is being destroyed, and in the context of globalization there is a huge danger for every people, including ours. So, the Cossacks, loving their Motherland, should not only defend its borders, not only strive to promote reconciliation, unity of people, harmony in society with their activities, but also strive to resist any attempts to destroy the true sovereignty of the Fatherland."
Among the eight Orthodox archangels, Archangel Michael is the main archangel. He is the Archangel, commander of the holy army of Angels and Archangels. Evidence of this is the twelfth chapter of the Revelation of John the Theologian. This chapter describes the battle of angels, during which the heavenly army, led by the archangel Michael, defeated universal evil. “And there was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought against them, but they did not stand, and there was no longer a place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast out to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Archangel Michael is especially revered among the Cossack warriors. For them, it serves as a basic guideline in choosing the right side in the fight against evil. Awakening the very depths of the Cossack subconscious, it influences the final choice by the Cossack of the right direction to counter the intrigues of the evil one.
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