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Metropolitan Filaret mounts the patriarch throne
“… not only reported he the God’s word, but also governed all temporal affairs… Such a power he disposed that Tsar himself was afraid of him. As to holy orders, he was merciful and not mercenary. He was familiar with different royal and war matters…”
On June 24 (July 4), 1619 after 7 years of the so-called “without patriarch” period metropolitan Filaret ascended the Chief priest cathedra in Russia.
Patriarch Filaret (Feodor Nikitich Romanov-Yuriev), father of Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich and his regent, was born about 1554. He belonged to one of the eminent boyar families. From his childhood Feodor was brought up in court environment and was well educated: he studied Latin and English.
In the end of 1600 – beginning 1601 during the reign of Tsar Boris Godunov Feodor Nikitich fell into disgrace, was made monk under compulsion under the name of Filaret and banished to Antonievo-Siysky Monastery. In 1605 during the reign of False Dmitriy he was allowed to return to Moscow and assigned metropolitan of Rostov.
In September of 1610, having led a mission to the besieged Smolensk, which was supposed to completely legalize the clauses of August agreement, he was arrested and sent to Poland in April of 1611 where he had been held captive until the middle of 1619.
In June of 1619, after eight long years of Polish captivity, metropolitan Filaret arrived to Moscow where his son met him ceremonially.
On June 22 (July 2), 1619 in the Golden Chamber of the Tsar palace Filaret was named Patriarch; on June 24 (July 4) in Dormition Cathedral of Moscow Kremlin he was elected via consecration in the same order as Saint Iov. The enthronement of Filaret was led by Jerusalem patriarch Feofan IV who was in Moscow at the time. Feofan along with Russian bishops signed a special charter on Filaret’s consecration which confirmed henceforth the right of Russians to elect their patriarch independently.
Owing to his blood relationship to Tsar, the high priest disposed of a great power: he took part in all state matters and was in fact a co-ruler of Mikhail Feodorovich. He even had a title of Your Majesty. As high priest Filaret did all his best to defend the country from religious influence from the West because while in captivity in Poland he had realized that union was inadmissible for Russia.
In the situation of the post-war devastation patriarch’s priority was to establish a solid administrative order: patrol men were sent all over the country, new cadastres were written, local delegates were called to Moscow, Zemstvo governance strengthened. Filaret’s absolute power enabled him in 1625 to create a special patriarch region which was completely subordinate to the chief priest and included a significant part of northern, central and southern lands.
As to church affairs, Filaret paid a great attention to correction and print of prayer books. The publishing house at Moscow old print court restored in 1620 issued during Filaret’s patriarchate a lot of Books of Hours, Books of Needs, Gospels and other editions which were thoroughly corrected. The patriarch himself took an active part in editing, he also wrote a series of church regulations and sermons.
On October 1, 1633 Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia, church figure and statesman, one of the leading politic figures of Interlunation, Filaret died and was buried in Dormition Cathedral of Moscow Kremlin.
Lit.: Зверев С. П. Патриарх Филарет (Романов): личность, государственная и церковная деятельность. Автореферат дис. ... канд. ист. наук. М., 2005; Патриарх Филарет (1619-1634 гг.) // Карташев А. В. Очерки по истории Русской Церкви. Т. 2. М., 1992; Петрушко В. Русская церковь в Патриаршество Филарета (Романова) [Электронный ресурс] // Православие.Ru. Б. д. URL: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/arhiv/5239.htm; Филарет Никитич Романов // Костомаров Н. История России в жизнеописаниях её главнейших деятелей. М., 2006.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Акты Сийского монастыря. Архангельск, 1913;
Васенко П. Г. Бояре Романовы и воцарение Михаила Феoдоровича. СПб., 1913;
Книга об избрании на царство великого государя, царя и великого князя Михаила Федоровича. М., 1856;