MP

On February 28, 2019, a discussion about evangelical plots in Russian literature will take place in the media center "Evening Moscow". The chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsky , writers Sergey Alekseev, Vladimir Krupin, Vasily Dvortsov and Anastasia Chernova will take part in the round table. The discussion will be moderated by the Assistant Chairman of the Publishing Council, Doctor of Historical Sciences Dmitry Volodikhin. Questions and topics for discussion: Gospel as the source of Russian literature; Good news and bookishness of the Middle Ages; Gospel stories in Russian classics of the XIX century and in the literature of the Silver Age; Which of the Russian writers kept the Christian worldview in the twentieth century? Our days: The gospel in literature - dying or rebirth? Beginning at 13.00. Broadcast discussion will be conducted on the website of "Evening Moscow".

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill held a meeting with Sheikh-ul-Islam, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board, Allahshukur Pasha-zade MP

January 30, 2019 in the Patriarchal residence Danilov Monastery met Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill with the chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, who arrived in Moscow to attend the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the primatial ministry of His Holiness Patriarch Moscow and All Russia Kirill. The meeting was attended by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Sergiy of Singapore and Southeast Asia, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archimandrite Filaret (Bulekov), Archbishop of Baku and Azerbaijan, Deputy Head of DECR Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), Secretary for Inter-Diversity , Executive Secretary of the Interreligious Council of Russia, Priest Dimitri Safonov, Secretariat Officer for Interfaith th Relations DECR deacon Ilya Kashitsyn, director of the World Russian People's Council of Human Rights Center RA Silantyev From the Azerbaijani side, the meeting was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Russian Federation, Polad Bulbul oglu, members of the Milli Majlis Javanshir Pasha-zade, Huseynbala Miralamov, Hikmet Mammadov, Assistant Chairman of the Office of Muslims of the Caucasus, Mahammad Pasha-zade, representatives of the Muslims Office of the Caucasus. Welcoming Allahshukur Pasha-zade, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill stressed the importance of such meetings for the development of Christian-Muslim dialogue. “I really appreciate your coordinating role in the Islamic community, you are an ideological Islamic leader, a person with a lot of experience and knowledge, and therefore our meetings with you, the agreements we reach, the plans we build, are of great importance for our lives communities. Within 10 years from the day of my ascension to the Moscow Patriarchal Throne, in my opinion, a lot has been done in terms of developing relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Islamic community, ”His Holiness testified. In a conversation with the spiritual leader of the Muslims of the Caucasus, the Primate of the Russian Church also highlighted the role of Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pasha-zade in maintaining inter-religious peace, including in Azerbaijan. “I can’t but recall our Orthodox Diocese headed by the present ruler of Baku and Azerbaijan, Alexander. I receive from our representatives in Azerbaijan consistently positive information about the state of inter-religious affairs and high praise in a good attitude to our church presence, which you always demonstrate, ”said Patriarch Kirill. His Holiness also mentioned a trilateral dialogue with the participation of his interlocutor and the Supreme Patriarch and the Catholicos of All Armenians, which has been going on for 30 years with the mediation of the Russian Orthodox Church and is intended to promote a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. “Although today there are no strong advances, it is important that there is no war,” stated His Holiness Vladyka. - We have reached an agreement on the return of prisoners, and an agreement was also reached that no action will be taken to destroy religious monuments and structures, neither Christian nor Muslim. All this cannot but have a beneficial effect on the very topic related to the discussion of the Karabakh problem. If everything depended only on religious figures, we would have solved this problem long ago. Therefore, we consider it our duty to have a beneficial influence, including on politicians, pushing them to ensure that this problem is solved in a peaceful way. We hope that the moment will come when this problem will be solved. ” Patriarch Kirill expressed satisfaction with the fact that good relations were built and maintained between Orthodox and Muslims in the CIS countries, highlighting the achievements in this area of ​​Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pasha-zade. “2017 was declared the year of Islam, Islamic solidarity and you held significant events this year,” continued the Primate, addressing the distinguished guest. “It seems to us that this kind of celebration, like the current celebrations we are participating in, gives us a good opportunity to meet, exchange views and plan certain plans.” During the conversation, His Holiness also emphasized the importance of joint humanitarian actions of religious communities of Russia to revive Syria. “The Russian Orthodox Church collects rather large convoys of humanitarian aid - tens, hundreds of tons. We distribute this help without ever asking a person whether he is a Muslim or a Christian — this help goes to those in need. And often we also provide this assistance together with our Muslim brethren, ”said His Holiness. “Sometimes our mission is carried out in very difficult conditions. Last year, when our Interreligious working group visited Syria, handed over humanitarian aid, it came under mortar attack. Fortunately, no one was hurt. But this event turned out to be so resonant that the UN Security Council paid attention to this topic, because if they fire at religious people who want to alleviate the suffering of their brothers and sisters, the world community cannot but react to such a crime, ”said the Primate of the Russian Church. . In turn, Allahshukur Pasha-zade thanked His Holiness Patriarch Kirill for the meeting and conveyed to him congratulations and best wishes from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, country's First Vice-President M. Aliyeva, members of the Azerbaijani delegation and the entire Azerbaijani people on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness . “Azerbaijan highly appreciates your role and efforts aimed at resolving the Karabakh problem and is well aware of the positive steps that have been taken in this direction. The Azerbaijani people are especially grateful to you, because it was you who contributed to the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict not escalating to an inter-religious level, ”Sheikh-ul-Islam stressed. “You mentioned Syria in your speech. And it is absolutely true that a great responsibility is placed on religious leaders. And it is also true that religious leaders alone cannot solve all problems. Only in cooperation, together with politicians can success be achieved, to combat such negative phenomena in the modern world as extremism and terrorism, ”said the chairman of the Muslim Board of the Caucasus. During the conversation, Allahshukur Pasha-zade also noted the good relations of the state authorities of Azerbaijan to the Orthodox community of the country. “I am very pleased that the personal relations between the leaders of our states are at an excellent level. This creates for us, religious leaders, good conditions to cooperate even more closely together in order to achieve our goals. The fact that peaceful interreligious relations in Azerbaijan is a great merit of the archbishop of Baku and Azerbaijan, Alexander. Azerbaijan has created good conditions for the existence and activity of all religious traditions. In particular, I want to note the conditions created for the Russian Orthodox community: existing churches are being restored, new ones are being built, and all this is happening with the support of the state, ”the spiritual leader of Muslims emphasized.

Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Diocese led celebrations in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Archangel Michael of the Unbeliever Communion in the Mikhailovsky Sloboda

On November 26, 2017, on the 25th Pentecost, Commemoration Day of St. John Chrysostom, the Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Diocese, Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Juvenal visited the Mikhailovskaya Sloboda (Ramensky District of the Moscow Region), where he headed the celebrations dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Mihailo-Saint-Angelo-Saint-Petersburg. . For the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence was co-served by the Bishop of Caracas and South American Apostles , who served the Orthodox parish of the Nativity of Christ in Iri (Pennsylvania, USA), the Dean of the Ramensky Ecclesiastical District of the Moscow Regional Diocese of igumen Nicodemus (Lunev), senior priest of Mihailo- Moscow, Diocese of the Moscow Regional Diocese of Égumen Nicodemus (Lunev), senior priest of Michael and Archangel Denisov), church clerics, priests Yevgeny Sarancha and Valery Bulychev, deacon Igor Kraev and invited clergy of the same faith. The head of the Ramensky District, AN. Kulakov, the head of the city district Bronnitsy V.V. Nevolin and the head of the Chulkovsky rural settlement S.I. Krupenin. At the small entrance, Metropolitan Juvenalius elevated priest Yevgeny Saranchu to the rank of archpriest. At the end of the service, Metropolitan Juvenalius addressed the crowd with an archpastoral word: “Your Eminence, dear father Irinarkh, honorable fathers, brothers and sisters! I am filled with deep joy that the Lord honored me to visit the Mikhailovskaya Sloboda again and celebrate Divine Liturgy here in the year of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of common faith. This temple, like many in Russia, is a martyr temple, because in 1961 it was taken away from the Church and was in reproach. And now, for 28 years, the restoration of church life has been going on here. The beginning of the re-establishment of this community was laid by Father Irinarch, now in the rank of archimandrite. Today we commemorate the memory of our holy father John, the archbishop of Constantinople, Chrysostom. We heard today in the Holy Gospel about who our neighbor is (see Luke 10: 25-37). About this we can talk with each person, regardless of his faith and nationality. Referring to the mercy of the Samaritan who assisted the robbers who fell into the hands, Christ said to the questioner: go and do the same (Luke 10:37) - that is, we must show love to all people who need it. I would like to remind you of this also because tomorrow is the day of the memory of the Apostle Philip, commencement of the Christmas fast. From Tuesday we enter the saving path of fasting, repentance and prayer. In this connection, I would like to wish you God's help, spiritual perfection and remembrance of the words that the Lord spoke today to us: “Go and do the same”, that is: “do works of mercy to all people who need and who able to accept help from us. " Sometimes, brothers and sisters, help is needed not materially, but most of all spiritual: it is to instruct people, to teach them the ways of salvation, to tell them about the joy of the faith of Christ. I warmly and heartily congratulate you, beloved fathers, brothers and sisters ... From early morning till noon you were in constant prayer. This temple, this community is essentially central in the common faith, because here is the largest congregation of believers who pray in the Orthodox Church according to the old rite. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, directing me to this divine service, asked me to convey to all of you his congratulations on this glorious jubilee, to convey his blessings and prayer wishes to the many help of God in your life, in your labors, in your ministry. I have a pleasant duty to announce to you the letter of His Holiness the Patriarch, who by his decree, to the diligent work for the benefit of the Holy Church, Archimandrite Irinarch, honored his Order of the Russian Orthodox Church, St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, II degree. I gladly present you, beloved and dear Father Archimandrite, this high Patriarchal award. Axios! By the decree of His Holiness Patriarch Evgeny Saranch for diligent works for the benefit of the Holy Church, he was awarded the medal of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow. Axios! You all know about the works of Father Eugene, and it is not by chance that on this day we elevated him to the rank of archpriest. I would like to show what Father Eugene does - he published the book "The Unified Church of the Archangel Michael Mikhailovsky Sloboda" for this anniversary. Here, brothers and sisters, the whole story of common faith in this parish. I think that you will be interested in and acquire it, and you will read with interest, because here you can find the whole history of common belief with explanations. Modern people need to know this, because not everyone remembers the sad history of separation that occurred in our Church, and the joy that the people who keep the old rites belong to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. And now I wanted to ask Father Archimandrite Irinarkh to announce the names of those who were awarded me diocesan awards, those who did a lot to recreate the holy temples and chapels in this place. May our attention inspire them to further works for the glory of God. ” Metropolitan Juvenal presented the Order of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna II, Archpriest Yevgeny Saranche - the medal of the Blessed Prince Daniil of Moscow, AG, to the Rector of the Archangel Michael Church, Archimandrite Irinarkh. Dugin is a medal of the Moscow Diocese "For sacrificial works" of the II degree, A.V. Bazhenov and TM Veryalina - Medal "For the sacrificial works" III degree. The letter of appreciation was taught by V.I. Maslova, and blessed letters - A.N. Anufriev, M.L. Veryalinu, G.L. Veryalina, A.F. Gusarova, A.V. Kalashnikov and PA Melnikov. Then Metropolitan Yuvenaly was greeted by the head of the Ramensky District, A.N. Kulakov: “With all my heart I want to wish you all the best. All that you have conceived, you have accomplished. Your attention to Ramensky district is very valuable to us. Everyone remembers your visit to the Holy Trinity Church in Ramenskoye with gratitude. I want to wish that your desire to restore the destroyed temples of the Moscow region was realized, and that in our society this desire was supported by all possible means. We, the secular authorities, of course, will help those who are interested in this, and will do everything possible to accomplish this. ” The Rector of the Church of Archangel Michael, Archimandrite Irinarkh, addressed the archpastors with a thankful address: “Your Eminence, dear Vladyka Yuvenaly! Your Grace, dear Vladyka John! Beloved in Christ, brothers and sisters! Today’s solemn divine service in honor of the Universal Teacher and Prelate John Chrysostom was timed to a significant anniversary in the life of the Archangel Michael Church - the 200th anniversary of the establishment of common faith in it. In 1810, the Moscow Metropolitan Platon, who stood at the origins of the All-Russian common belief, first responded to the request of Mikhailovsky-Slavic Old Believers, who wanted to be "sons of the Church", and gave them an oral blessing to perform some services in the Old Russian rite in the church of Archangel Michael, who was all-Orthodox at that time. And in 1817, when the number of Old Believers multiplied: residents of Mikhailovskaya Sloboda and the surrounding villages, who wanted to join the Church, Archbishop Dmitrovsky Avgustin (Vinogradsky), who runs the Moscow Diocese, issued a resolution that said: “Bronnitskaya district in the Church of the Archangel Michael, in Mikhailovsky Sloboda , we bless to send every divine service according to old-printed books, as well as demands in homes, hoping that through this those who are separated from the unity of the Church of Christ will unite with it and there will be fellow suppers of Go below, to his salvation and to the eternal belly, of which we will not cease to send our unworthy prayers to the Supreme Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ, bringing his sheep into the courtyard, not even the essence of His court. " The wise decision of the hierarchy bore fruit: hundreds of Orthodox Christians, who were outside the church fence, have since become members of the Mother Church and were given the opportunity to earn their salvation. The followers of Metropolitan Platon and Archbishop Avgustin at the Moscow chair, Metropolitan Seraphim (Glagolevsky), who blessed the reconstruction of the church and bestowed upon him the second full-time priest, and Saint Philaret (Drozdov), put the anti-religious care of the needs of the Michael-Archangelsk community, blessed the anti-archpastoral care for the needs of the Michael-Archangelsk community, and blessed the anti-priest, who provided him with the second full-time priest, and the holy Philaret (Drozdov), which anti-divine year Metropolitan Filaret has provided another unforgettable benefit for Mihaillobodskaya fellow believers. In 1864, the parish church of the Archangel Michael suffered a deadly cholera epidemic. The parishioners appealed to His Eminence Filaret asking for permission to accept the miraculous Iveron Icon of the Mother of God from the city of Moscow to perform prayers for deliverance from a devastating disease. But the wise Saint Philaret answered their request with the following words: "Take the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Jerusalem, from the Bronnitsky cathedral, and She, Lady, will relieve you of the illness that has befallen." With the blessing of the saint, the co-religionists accepted this ancient shrine, and after their prayers were made to their homes, the devastating epidemic immediately ceased. In a grateful recollection of the miraculous aid of Our Lady, the parishioners of the village of Mikhailovskaya Sloboda decided annually unacceptably to take the miraculous icon of the Jerusalem Mother of God into the church. The saint blessed the adoption of the holy icon on Fomin's Week, and she was brought to our church every year, accompanied by crowded processions, and spent a whole week in the Mikhailovsky Sloboda. Dear lord! After the church of Archangel Michael was returned to the common faith community in 1989 with your prayers and care, the tradition of honoring and performing religious processions with the Jerusalem-icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, founded by Saint Philaret, was revived. Now Her icon - a list of the ancient Bronnitskaya miraculous icon - one of the main shrines of our church. And today we would like to present you and Vladyka John small, but skillfully executed images of this holy icon for prayer memory and as a sign of our highest respect and heartfelt love for you. For us, your ministry and care for the church of Archangel Michael are as important and valuable as the care of the Moscow archpastors of Metropolitan Platon, Archbishop Augustine, Metropolitan Seraphim, Metropolitan Philaret and their successors in the Moscow Department for our pious ancestors was important. By your selfless and selfless service to God, the Church, the flock, and the earthly Fatherland, you are showing us a living example of following Christ. We sincerely thank you, our dear archpastor, for your rich and inexhaustible spiritual gifts, please and pray that we continue our wise leadership on our way to salvation. We thank you too, dear Vladyko John, for sharing with us the prayer joy of today's celebration, arriving at our temple from far South America. Save you, Christ, our dear and beloved archpastors! May the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ help you carry your holy work and exploits for many good years! ”

As part of the Christmas educational readings, a meeting of the section “Care of the Church about depressed patients” was held MP

On January 26, 2019, in the framework of the XVII International Christmas Educational Readings in Moscow, the work of the section “Care of the Church about depressed patients” was held. The meeting was organized jointly by the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service , the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Commission for Church Enlightenment and Diaconia of the Inter-Council Presence, which has a working group for the pastoral care of the mentally ill. The meeting was led by the chairman of the working group, Metropolitan of Voronezh and Liskinsky, Sergius . The section curators are the secretary of the Commission for Church Enlightenment and Deacon, a DECR employee MB. Nelyubova and a member of the working group on pastoral care for the mentally ill, the head of the direction of assistance to the disabled of the Synodal Department for Charity, V.V. Leontiev. More than 50 people from 14 dioceses took part in the section - clergy and laity of the Russian Orthodox Church, psychiatrists, employees of the Scientific Center for Mental Health (SCR) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, doctors, church social workers. In his introductory report, Metropolitan Sergius of Voronezh noted that one of the section’s tasks was to encourage local clergymen to respond to the problem the meeting was about so that they would not be afraid of mentally ill people and provide help to both the sick and medical specialists, who, for their part, also need support and understanding. Helping people suffering from mental disorders, it is necessary to find balanced approaches and not reduce all manifestations of such disorders exclusively to mental illness or only to devoid of content. Metropolitan Sergius noted that depression is one of the manifestations of "the total sinful damage to human nature, which develops as a result of a complex interaction of social, psychological and biological factors." The most significant reasons for the spread of depression in modern society are the loss of traditional religious values ​​and the crisis of the family. “Depression is a mental illness of a person who is tired of passions. This reveals the spiritual roots of the depressions. Sadness and despondency overwhelm a person when he cannot achieve the desired to which he is bound by passion. Experiencing melancholy and grief always accompany the loss of what he did not have the ability to withhold. The spiritual perfection of a person free from passions is the most radical remedy for depression. ” “Depression, whatever the reason for it, is not only the clinical practice of psychiatrists and psychologists, but also the subject of pastoral care and theological reasoning of the Church. Patients with depressions are especially sensitive to pastoral attention, and therefore the combination of pastoral and psychiatric care, with proper differentiation of the fields of competence of a doctor and a priest, turns out to be very fruitful in the treatment of mental illness, ”said Metropolitan Sergius. In conclusion of his report, Vladyka Sergius stressed: “Depression is one of the most frequent diseases that are encountered by both psychiatrists and clergymen. I hope that today we will be able to fruitfully continue the dialogue of the clergy with the medical community in order to give mentally ill people with depressive disorders the opportunity to get rid of suffering with the help of God's grace. ” Doctor of Medical Sciences, Deputy Director of the NCHP for Development and Innovation, Professor of the Department of Practical Theology at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University, VG Caleda in his speech on the topic “Depression and the notion of sadness and despondency in patristic literature” noted that 250 million people suffer from depression in the world, and about 9 million in Russia. Scientists call it the number 1 killer, as it often becomes the cause of suicide . The speaker spoke about the types of depression, its forms and causes. Listing the criteria for depression, he noted that a mental disorder can be said when a low mood lasts at least two weeks, and at the same time a person feels it for most of the day. Sleep disturbance, low self-esteem, lack of energy, fatigue, lack of appetite, unreasonable feelings of self-judgment and excessive guilt feelings, unwillingness to live - these are some criteria that indicate the development of depression. He noted that women are more likely to be depressed than men. Due to a number of endocrine changes, more than 20% of women are prone to postpartum depression. The physical component of depression is manifested in the feeling of sadness, sadness, depression; violation of motor activity, when a person becomes inhibited, as well as in mental changes, when a person's thoughts flow slowly and sluggishly. The spiritual manifestations of depression include the feeling of “hardened insensitivity” when a person turns to God with prayer and does not feel any answer; proceeds to the sacraments and does not feel like their participant; unable to read spiritual literature; feels “cold on the heart” and therefore cannot pray. This is all a consequence of depression. Speaking of what the holy fathers wrote about sadness, despondency - manifestations of depression, - Professor Kaleda noted that the holy fathers describe in detail the symptoms and spiritual causes of depression. “And the most surprising thing for us, psychiatrists of the XXI century, for example, is that John Cassian the Roman described that sadness can be causeless. Now we would say that this is endogenous depression, when the cause is at a biological level, when depression occurs without any provocative factor. ” According to the speaker, in many cases it is spiritual causes that lead to depression, and therefore the disease requires not only medicinal, but also spiritual treatment. Candidate of Medical Sciences, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the NCHP, G.I. Kopeiko, in the report “Age Aspects of Depression” showed that at present depression as a disease is becoming more common in young people, the problem of suicides among young people is particularly relevant. Many cases of suicide attempts have been recorded even in children 10-12 years old. 91% of those attempting suicide attempt suffer from mental illness, and the greatest risk is associated with depression. Statistical peaks with a high suicidal risk occur in adolescence and age after 40 years, about a quarter of older people are prone to depression. Understanding the age characteristics of depression allows you to choose the right approach to both treatment and care for patients. Archpriest Elijah Odyakov, cleric of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Healer" at the NCHP, in his report "Helping the Shepherd in Depression," noted that many clerics believe that depression does not exist as a disease, but "there is only a manifestation of passion, sadness, despondency, laziness weakness; they say that a true believer cannot have depression. ” This is fundamentally wrong, and in the case of depression, a person should certainly turn to doctors. The priest "can and should, if necessary, convince his parishioner to consult a doctor." It often happens that with the word “psychiatrist” a sick person becomes isolated, he can no longer trust the priest and even go to church. Therefore, according to the father of Elijah, the priest in this case should act with particular caution and try to involve the patient's relatives to solve such situations. The speaker listed in detail those complaints, some kind of markers in speech or behavior, which should alert the priest and let him know that his parishioner really needs medical help. A patient can talk about a “feeling of being forgiven,” “lack of a sense of grace,” there may be “complaints of hardened insensitivity,” “emptiness in the soul,” “loss of the meaning of life,” “loss of faith in God.” A person feels indifference to all and to all, is experiencing a "heart yearning." “Sometimes they talk about heavy thoughts. And at inquiries, it turns out that these are thoughts about suicide. There is a feeling of one’s own “special guilt”, “heightened sinfulness”, “worthlessness”, a feeling of immense “shame for one’s past life”, reaching despair. With the threat of suicide, “categorically it is impossible to use or maintain attitude towards the disease, as a punishment for sinful life or hereditary defects ... It is advisable not to make any reproaches to a sick person concerning church life. We must remember that a sick person is very vulnerable and easily sees in any words the idea that he is considered worthless and incapable of anything. The priest should not give the patient banal advice, such as: “You should pull yourself together” or “you could easily cope if you wanted”, etc. Flat consolatory statements should be avoided, “be attentive to any complaints of a sick person and in no case ignore them as a trifle, but listen attentively to everything he says,” said Father Elijah. We must constantly convey to the mind of man that this depression is to blame for the fact that his life seems so painful, empty, painful. It is necessary to support and strengthen the sick in striving for the grace-filled help of God through church sacraments. Candidate of Medical Sciences, Leading Researcher of the NCHP O.A. Borisova made a presentation on "Religious ways of coping with depressive states." The report examined the manifestations of endogenous depression and presented the results of scientific research of the NCHP regarding psychocorrectional work based on the religious values ​​of the patient’s personality. The speaker identified and analyzed in detail four ways of coping with depressive states (the so-called coping strategy): the religious method of “preserving traditional values ​​and meanings”; social support from a religious community or religious relatives; religious rethinking of the situation and self; the so-called unifying religious method, i.e. the acquisition of an emotionally comfortable state, which gives religious faith - comfort, comfort, forgiveness, reconciliation. Spiritually-oriented communication is very important, which leads to the harmonization of the patient's personality and changes in his behavior and lifestyle. Unlike other mental illnesses, depression has a beginning and an end. To help depressed patients, a multidisciplinary approach is needed, which, along with therapy, also requires the pastoral care of a clergyman, support for the religious community, the organization of special conditions for therapeutic communication with simultaneous participation of their relatives' patients in the program, a deep personal value-orientation due to updating the spiritual component, and improving interpersonal relationships in the family in the process of group psychotherapy and their transition to a different quality level Hb. Speech by a master's student at Sretenskaya Theological Seminary A.A. Matienko was devoted to the theme “Pastoral Counseling for Depressed Patients (according to the patristic literature)”. In the writings of the holy fathers there is a description of states of sadness and despondency, which are not depression itself. For example, St. John Chrysostom in Letters to the Olympics writes about the despondency that the saint was able to overcome, and about the need to continue “to watch earnestly for you to acquire a complete world for you ...”. Abba Dorofei, addressing the young man who was tormented by prodigal passion and who was afraid of falling into despair, examines in detail his condition and builds up a “strategy” of spiritual struggle. First of all, he removes from the young man a feeling of guilt for this state: “The culprit of your battle is the devil”; instructs him to avoid situations provoking prodigal thoughts, outlines ways for him to further improve, and also teaches him to pray about this situation, he promises to pray for the young man and shares his own experience of spiritual struggles. The speaker noted that the holy fathers did not talk about death and the Last Judgment with people who were in a difficult psychological state and who had attended suicidal thoughts. They often shared their own experiences in overcoming difficult mental states. “If a shepherd shares his experience, this increases confidence and has a great psychotherapeutic effect,” the speaker noted. Holy Fathers — especially in patericles, letters, and memories of saints — have a description of cases with a specific set of symptoms that are similar to depression. The speaker drew a parallel between the signs and symptoms of depression described by the Holy Fathers from the International Classification of Diseases: “ideological inhibition” - despair, a feeling of being abandoned, thoughts and attempts at suicide; “Disturbing affect” - a desperate soul that rushes everywhere and inspires horror to the counter, etc. Speaking about the care of the holy fathers for the suffering, the speaker called the following types of it: the prayer of the shepherd for the suffering, the calling and teaching of prayer; compassion, emotional support; a call for patience and hope in God; proper attitude to suffering and occupational therapy. According to the speaker, some approaches of the holy fathers are comparable to the methods used by modern psychologists, for example, with active listening, stimulation to reflection, self-disclosure, etc. Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Clinical Psychologist, Leading Researcher of the Center for Scientific and Technological Reference, Ye.A. Kazmina made a presentation on “Features of the psychotherapeutic management of patients with depression. Psychometric methods for the analysis of depressive states ". The speaker focused on three main areas for studying depression: cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic and existential psychotherapy, and presented psychometric techniques for diagnosing the severity level of depressive disorders. She described in detail the psychotherapeutic methods used in the model approaches mentioned. E.A. Kazmina noted that when working with believing patients, an important healing factor is the commonality of religious values, which give meaning to illness and suffering. In the treatment of depressed patients, a “brigadier” approach is important - the cooperation of a psychiatrist, psychotherapist and a priest. Candidate of Philosophy, General Practitioner of the Highest Qualification Category, Medical Officer of the Voronezh Diocese A.A. Shevchenko in his report “Causes of depressive disorders from a theological perspective” noted the problems of dialogue between psychiatry and theology in understanding the experience of experiencing mental disorders. “The experience of science can be described from the point of view of theology, but the language of science cannot adequately describe the religious experience of communion with God,” said the speaker. He spoke about some areas of foreign research in the field of psychiatry, which tried to find in the human genes and the brain not only the cause of depression, but also the source of religious experiences, and describe the religious experience of a person using objective methods. The speaker stressed that he highly appreciates the very fact of the dialogue between the Church and science in the field of helping the mentally ill, but believes that modern psychiatry still lacks theological devotion. Candidate of Medical Sciences, Researcher NTSPZ E.V. Gedevani in the report “Depressive disorders and religiosity” presented a review of the world scientific literature on the effect of religiosity on depressive states. Foreign researchers have accumulated significant data on the protective effects of religion and spirituality on depressive disorders and the level of suicide. There are numerous studies showing improvement in overall mental well-being and health associated with a religious worldview. In studies, scientists divide patients into people with “internal religiosity”, who consider religion as the basis of their existence and following it in their lifetime, and people with “external religiosity” for whom religious beliefs are not so significant and “adjusted” to other life goals. , for example, under social relations or under the task of achieving personal comfort. Studies show that external religiosity is associated with an increased risk of depressive disorder and a higher degree of depressive symptoms. In contrast, internal religiosity tends to negatively relate to depressive symptoms. The protector effect of religiosity is more pronounced in persons who have endured a traumatic situation: often the trauma has led to a deeper spiritual development of a person. According to research by American scientist Harold König, who observed 87 elderly patients with depression for 47 weeks, internal religious motivation leads to early remission. After eliminating a number of depression factors (emotional state, social influence, endogenous factors, etc.), each increase in internal religiosity by 10 points (according to the scale adopted in the study) is comparable to an increase in the rate of onset of remission by 70%. The speaker presented the results of American, Australian, Latin American and European studies indicating the positive impact of religious life motivation on the recovery of depressed patients. Foreign and domestic authors point to the importance of the semantic role of religion in the recovery of the sick: "Participation in the life of religious institutions is associated with a higher religious and social identity and, consequently, with a higher level of subjective psychological well-being." This is evidenced by a 2007 study by Professor Greenfield, which involved 3032 people aged 25-74 years. Studies by another author (Kirov, 1998) testify to the great significance of the semantic role of religion for patients who have suffered mental disorders: “Mental illness, usually accompanied by an affect of fear, feelings of chaos and helplessness, violates the inner order of personality. With the help of faith in God, the balance and integrity of a person split by illness can be restored, which is experienced by the subject as a revival, finding a source of happiness, peace and confidence ... Many patients consciously use prayer in times of great suffering and despair, others see their illness as a test (positive reappraisal ), or rely on their church activities (increasing socialization). " “The most obvious protective factor hindering the realization of suicide is, in the opinion of many researchers, his religious ethical condemnation, because most religious teachings recognize the unconditional value of human life. This idea is meaningful and reflects on the general attitude towards life and the self-esteem of a sick person. An important protective factor is the belief in an afterlife and a loving God. In all religions there are role models for believers, demonstrating how to cope with crisis and stress, thoughts of suicide, and contributing to the development of resources that help to cope with life difficulties. Personal participation of the patient in religious ceremonies is important - this contributes to the reduction of depressogenic effects in stressful life situations. ” At the conclusion of the meeting, Metropolitan Sergius of Voronezh noted that all the issues raised during the reports and discussions will be included in the agenda of future scientific and practical seminars and conferences on the topic "Care of the Church about the mentally ill."