Patriarch of the Old Believer Church. Korniliy (Titov), ​​Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus'

Birthday August 01, 1947

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church

Biography

Born on August 1, 1947 in Orekhovo-Zuevo, Moscow Region, into a hereditary Old Believer family. After graduating from the 8th grade of school, he became a turner's apprentice at a foundry and mechanical plant, where he worked for 35 years. While working, he studied at evening school, technical school and the Moscow Automechanical Institute, from which he graduated in 1976.

In his youth he was a member of the CPSU, which served as one of the accusations at the Council of the Moscow Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2007.

Until 1997, he worked at the plant as head of the technical control department.

Since 1991 - Chairman of the Church Council of the Old Believer community of Orekhova-Zueva. His mentor and teacher was the rector of the Church of the Nativity Holy Mother of God in Orekhovo-Zuevo, priest Leonty Pimenov.

In 1997, having taken a vow of celibacy, he was ordained to the rank of deacon by Metropolitan Alimpiy (Gusev). In 2004, Metropolitan Andrian (Chetvergov) ordained him to the priesthood. He served as the second priest of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the city of Orekhovo-Zuevo.

On October 21, 2004, at the Consecrated Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was elected a candidate for bishop. He took monastic vows on March 14, 2005.

On May 8, 2005, Metropolitan Andrian, in concelebration with Bishops of Novosibirsk and All Siberia Siluyan (Kilin), Far Eastern German (Savelyev) and Evmeniy (Mikheev) of Chisinau and All Moldavia, ordained Cornelius to the rank of bishop for the Kazan and Vyatka diocese.

Elected Metropolitan at the Consecrated Council on October 18, 2005. Voting had to be done three times. Only the third time, 58-year-old Bishop Cornelius received more than two-thirds of the votes required for election. The ceremonial ceremony took place in Pokrovskoe cathedral at the Rogozhskoye cemetery in Moscow on October 23, 2005.

Positions himself as a supporter of continuing the course of his predecessor, Metropolitan Andrian. Shortly after his election as metropolitan, he stated: “Metropolitan Andrian’s efforts aimed at overcoming the isolation of the Old Believers from the modern spiritual and cultural life of Russia, I will try to continue to the best of my ability. After all, this is the only way we can convey to our people the truth about the true Orthodox faith, which has not undergone reforms."

In March 2007, he called “possible and timely” the joint initiative of the Russian Orthodox Old Believers Church and the Russian Ministry of Culture to create a public censorship and oversight committee “to control the moral content of works and events of an educational, educational and entertainment nature in the areas of the press intended for children and adolescents.” , theater, stage and mass media." He stated that the committee should include representatives of all traditional religions of Russia, famous writers, authoritative cultural and scientific figures, teachers, military personnel.

June 1, 2017, in memory of the holy Tsar Constantine the Great and his mother Helen, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus' Cornelius celebrates its seventieth Angel Day.

Metropolitan Cornelius at the Intercession Cathedral in Rostov-on-Don

Metropolitan Cornelius(in the world - Konstantin Ivanovich Titov) was born on August 1, 1947 in Orekhovo-Zuyevo, near Moscow, into an Old Believer family. After graduating from 8th grade high school, due to financial difficulties, was forced to start working. Became a turner's apprentice at the Foundry and Mechanical Plant of the Orekhovo-Zuevsky Cotton Mill - an enterprise founded at one time by famous Old Believer industrialists Morozov. Here the future Old Believer metropolitan worked 35 years old, combining work with study at evening school, technical school and the Moscow Automechanical Institute, from which he graduated in 1976.

Until 1997, he worked as the head of the technical control department of the plant. In 1991, he was elected chairman of the church council of the Orekhovo-Zuyevo Old Believer community of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In May 1997, having taken a vow of celibacy, he was ordained a deacon. The ordination was performed by His Eminence Metropolitan Alimpiy(Gusev). March 7, 2004 in Moscow, in the Intercession Cathedral, His Eminence Metropolitan Andrian(Chetvergov) ordained Deacon Constantine to the rank of priest. The place of his ministry was the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Orekhovo-Zuevo, where he served as the second priest. On October 21, 2004, at the Consecrated Council, Priest Konstantin was elected a candidate for bishop for the Kazan-Vyatka See. March 14, 2005 Fr. Constantine took monastic vows and was given the name Cornelius.

On May 7, 2005, in the Intercession Cathedral, His Eminence Metropolitan Andrian in the concelebration of bishops Siluyana Novosibirsk, Eumenia Kishinevsky and Herman Far Eastern ordained Hieromonk Cornelius to the rank of Bishop of Kazan and Vyatka. On July 21, the day of the celebration of the appearance of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the rite of his ascension to the Kazan See was completed. On October 18, 2005, the Consecrated Council, which met in Moscow to elect a new Primate of the Church in place of the deceased Metropolitan Andrian, elected Bishop Cornelius as Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus'. Vladyka Cornelius became the High Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church.

Our Community Chairman Nikolai Ivanovich meets Metropolitan Cornelius. January 2017

Metropolitan Korniliy zealously fulfills his archpastoral duty and regularly performs hierarchal services at the Cathedral of the Intercession in Moscow. He often visits communities of the Moscow diocese, and also often visits all dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church. He is attentive to the problems of church life, responsibly prepares and ordains candidates for sacred degrees, and leads the consecration of many built churches. Being himself a talented preacher, the archpastor purposefully develops and supports preaching, educational and publishing activities in the Church, spiritual education. The Bishop is very concerned that the result of these works be directed both inside the Church, to revive the spiritual life of Christians, and outside, into the world, to preach to all humanity the truths of the God-given right faith.

During the primacy of Bishop Cornelius, conciliarity was especially evident in the Church. This is expressed not only in the fact that regularly held Consecrated Councils have become the real governing body of the Church, but also in the fact that the Church openly and freely discusses issues of its internal life and each of its members has received the right to a conciliar vote. Vladika Cornelius is known for his openness and responsiveness. He is respectful and humble with his fellow bishops, and has a fatherly attitude towards the clergy subordinate to him - priests, deacons and readers. Ready to communicate with any Christian, attentive to people of different ranks and positions, nationalities and religions. Vladyka is educated and well-read, open to everything new. With enormous moral and physical activity, Bishop Cornelius leads a modest and strict way of monastic life, is energetic and cheerful, unpretentious in everyday matters.

Editorial site " Since ancient times"Heartily congratulates our Primate on this significant anniversary. We wish him peace, health and spiritual salvation. And work for many more years in the field of high priestly service: “the right to rule the word of Truth”! Many years to come, holy Master!

The Old Believer Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus' Korniliy (secular name - Konstantin Titov) is the spiritual shepherd of approximately two million Old Believers living in Russia and the world. According to the deep conviction of 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 seems to be one of the saddest pages in the Russian Church. After all, Nikon’s hasty transformations separated the Russian people along one of the most important grounds for the Slavs - Faith in God. The split led to irreconcilable rivalry and mutual hostility of former co-religionists, who overnight became enemies.

Old Believer Church - historical excursion

The Old Believers arose in the second half of the 17th century, after the great church reform which was held with Patriarch Nikon. The changes affected worship, rituals, and texts of sacred books. For example, tripartite sign of the cross replaced the two-fingered one, the spelling of the name Jesus replaced the previous spelling of Isus, the triple hallelujah praise became the norm instead of the double one.

A fairly impressive part of the population and clergy did not accept these innovations. This is how the Schism occurred and the Old Believers arose, which also divided into two parts: the non-priestly one, which does not recognize the clergy at all, and the priestly one, which believes that priests are still needed for rituals and worship. The Popovites were also called the Beglopopovtsy because they became a shelter for fugitive priests who denied Nikon’s reforms.

The authorities began brutal persecution against the Old Believers and especially against their leader, Archpriest Avvakum, whom the current Metropolitan Cornelius honors. Avvakum was once Nikon's close comrade-in-arms and assistant, 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 king, even in the face of death he was persistent and did not give up his views. Habakkuk was burned in the spring of 1682, becoming for the Old Believers a holy martyr for the real Faith.

The authorities softened their attitude towards the Old Believer Church only two centuries later, when Alexander II signed a decree according to which Old Believers were allowed to worship freely, travel abroad, open schools, and hold government positions. And in 1971, the Council recognized the illegality of the “schism”, which was adopted at the Councils of 1656 and 1667.

Metropolitan Cornelius - biography

The future Metropolitan Korniliy Ivanovich) was born on August 1, 1947 in the town of Orekhovo-Zuevo near Moscow. Both parents were Old Believers. His family did not live well, so young Kostya had to go to work at a local cotton mill in 1962, after the eighth grade, where he worked for 35 years.

Konstantin Ivanovich constantly studied without interrupting his work. First, he completed his studies at evening school, then at a technical school, and in 1972 he graduated from the Automechanical Institute in Moscow. Hard work and a thirst for education helped him go from a student to the head of the Quality Control Department (technical control department).

The beginning of the spiritual path

Since 1991, the future Metropolitan Korniliy became the 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 Mother of God - Leonty Pimenov, who had a huge influence on his student. In many ways, it was Father Leonty who convinced him to become a priest.

Church service

In the spring of 1997, Konstantin Titov gave a celibacy dinner and was ordained to the rank of 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 very 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, Constantine took monastic vows and was named Cornelius. And two months later, on May 7, Metropolitan Adrian ordained Constantine to the high rank of bishop. But he did not stay in this rank for long. On October 18 of the same year, the 58-year-old bishop, after the third vote, received the archpastoral title - Metropolitan Cornelius of the Old Believer. 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 Believer 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, a faith that was not touched by Nikon’s reforms. 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, and deacons. During the year he visits all the dioceses subordinate to him. Actively communicates with local and federal authorities. In the spring of 2017, I met with Vladimir Putin, to whom I told 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 allocating money for the return of foreign Old Believers to their homeland and transferring churches for the use of the Old Believer Church.

Material from the site

On March 7, 2004, in Moscow, in the Intercession Cathedral, His Eminence Metropolitan Andrian (Chetvergov) ordained Deacon Constantine to the rank of priest. His place of service was the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the city of Orekhova-Zuev, where he served as the second priest.

On October 21, 2004, the Consecrated Council elected Priest Konstantin Titov as a candidate bishop for the Kazan-Vyatka See. March 14, 2005 Fr. Constantine took monastic vows and was given the name Cornelius.

On May 8, 2005, in the Intercession Cathedral, His Eminence Metropolitan Andrian, concelebrated by Bishops Siluyan of Novosibirsk, Evmeniy of Chisinau and All Moldova and Herman of the Far East, ordained Hieromonk Cornelius to the rank of Bishop of Kazan and Vyatka. On July 21, on the day of the celebration of the appearance of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the rite of elevating Bishop Cornelius to the Kazan See was performed.

On October 18, 2005, the Consecrated Council, which met in Moscow to elect a new Primate of the Church in place of the deceased Metropolitan Andrian, elected Bishop Cornelius as Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus'. The enthronement took place in the Intercession Cathedral on October 23, 2005.

Over the years, Metropolitan Cornelius has ordained three bishops, many priests, deacons and readers. Every year of his archpastoral activity, the bishop visits almost all dioceses of the Church, where he holds diocesan and parish meetings, performs ordinations, and consecrates churches. Metropolitan Cornelius pays considerable attention to issues of church and public life, meeting with representatives of the federal, regional and municipal authorities, public and politicians, scientists, specialists in the field of Russian culture, history of the Russian Church and Old Believers. Every year on June 3, on the day of his angel, Metropolitan Cornelius holds solemn service in the Intercession Cathedral in Moscow.

Literature

RPSC calendar. 2011. P.119-12.

RPSC calendar. 2013. P.190.

Sergei Kalashnikov.