The Seven Sacraments (or Mysteries, as the ancient Church rightly terms them) are the lifeblood of the Holy Church of Christ. They are not symbols, nor are they optional. They are divine acts instituted by our Lord and preserved by the Apostles, the Fathers, and the unbroken Orthodox Tradition. The Old Believer Church, holding to the unaltered rites and teachings of the Russian Orthodox Church prior to the schism of the 17th century, safeguards these Mysteries with strict fidelity, without adulteration by modernist reinterpretation or Western theological rationalism.
The Church is not a human organisation. She is the Body of Christ, and through the Sacraments, that Body is nourished, cleansed, healed, united, and made fruitful.
Baptism
Baptism is the first and foundational Mystery, without which no one may enter the Church or partake of divine grace. It is not a symbol, nor an expression of personal sentiment. It is a divine act—an ontological change wrought by the Holy Spirit through water and prayer. The baptised is mystically united with the death of Christ, and so rises with Him. “We have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)
Among the Old Believers, baptism is held in the highest reverence, for it is nothing less than the beginning of eternal life. As Christ said: “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” (John 3:5) It is the severance from the old Adam and the grafting into the new. The one baptised is no longer their own, but belongs to Christ, having received the seal of the Cross and the name of a saint, through which they are enrolled in the heavenly Church.
The correct form of baptism, as preserved without deviation by the Old Rite, is three full immersions, each time invoking one Person of the Holy Trinity. This is not subject to change, cultural adaptation, or pastoral discretion. It is the standard of the Apostles and the universal practice of the undivided Church. Any deviation—such as a single immersion—is a mutilation of the sacrament and must be rejected.
The Didache, an ancient Christian text, prescribes immersion in living (i.e., flowing) water. However, it does permit pouring under special circumstances. (Didache Ch. 7) Saint Basil the Great confirms this practice in his canons.
The Ecumenical Councils did not authorise innovations but upheld the apostolic model. Therefore, the Old Believers reject compromises that accommodate those baptised by sprinkling, claiming it to be valid “by economia.” Economia has become a cloak for apostasy. It cannot nullify the clear apostolic requirement. Those coming to the Church from heresy or schism are received through full baptism. If a person was “baptised” outside the Orthodox Church—in any heterodox sect or denomination—that rite is considered null and void. Grace is not conferred by schismatics.
This unwavering position preserved by the Old Believers is in accord with the canon of Saint Cyprian of Carthage and the practices of the ancient African and Eastern churches. Those who compromised on this question, such as the modernisers in Moscow or Constantinople, did so under political and diplomatic pressures, not out of theological fidelity. The Russian Church, before the Nikonian reforms, insisted on the rebaptism of converts from other religious communities, even if those communities claimed to be Christian. Most Old Believers continue this practice. Baptism is not a formality; it is the very moment of entry into the Church. Without it, no participation in the other Mysteries is permitted. There can be no communion without rebirth. There can be no chrismation, no repentance, no marriage in the Lord, unless one is first baptised rightly.
Children of Orthodox parents are to be baptised as infants without delay, usually on the eighth day or shortly thereafter. Delaying baptism out of sentiment or family convenience is not permitted. The priest, the godparents, and the family are bound before God to raise the baptised child in strict adherence to the Orthodox faith and discipline. Godparents must themselves be devout and properly catechised members of the Old Rite. It is not a social role but a spiritual one. They renounce Satan on behalf of the child, confess the Creed, and pledge themselves to guide the child toward salvation.
Before baptism, the catechumen (or the infant’s sponsors) undergoes exorcisms and a formal renunciation of Satan. Baptism is spiritual warfare, not simply a blessing. The priest prays for the deliverance of the soul and anoints the candidate with oil before immersion. Every word and gesture carries weight; nothing is trivial.
To treat baptism as an empty ritual, or to accept corrupt forms of it from heterodox communities, is to insult the Cross of Christ and deny His command. The Old Believers will not compromise. The soul is too precious, and salvation too urgent, to tolerate such errors. As it is written: “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Ephesians 4:5) Let there be no counterfeit baptism, no delusion, and no appeasement of schism. Either one is buried with Christ in true baptism or remains outside the Church, still bound to the old man.
This is the narrow path, the path of the Holy Fathers, and it shall not be altered.
Chrismation (Confirmation)
Chrismation is the immediate continuation and completion of Holy Baptism. It is not an optional rite, nor a later supplement as in the Protestant deviations. It is the anointing of the newly baptised with the seal of the Holy Spirit, the personal descent of the Comforter upon the soul, just as He descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost. The baptised one becomes a full member of the Body of Christ, not only cleansed of sin, but now sanctified, illumined, and endowed with the grace necessary to live as a Christian.
Let us recall the words of Saint Paul when he said that “it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, by putting his seal on us and giving us his Spirit in our hearts as a first instalment.” (2 Corinthians 1:21–22) This seal is not figurative. It is real and irrevocable unless defiled by outright apostasy. Through Chrismation, the Christian is anointed priest, prophet, and king in Christ. The ancient prayer of the Church, recited by the priest as he anoints the newly baptised, declares with unwavering confidence: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” This phrase is pronounced with each application of the myron. The seal is the mark of ownership—this soul belongs to Christ. This seal is not subject to erasure. Even if the person falls into grievous sin, the seal remains as a witness for judgment or for salvation.
Old Believers hold fast to the sacred practice of anointing with chrism at the proper time — immediately after baptism. Delay or omission of Chrismation is a mutilation of the order established by the Apostles. There is no Christian life without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Baptism cleanses, Chrismation fills. One without the other is spiritually incomplete.
The myron is not ordinary oil. It is a holy substance, prepared through fasting, prayer, and the blending of numerous aromatic ingredients as prescribed by ancient tradition. It is consecrated by canonical Orthodox bishops whose lineage is unbroken from the Apostles. The consecration of chrism is rare and solemn, not routine. It is performed during the Great and Holy Week or on other high occasions with the highest reverence. The Old Believers, being separated from the reformist state Church, have endured much suffering to maintain access to authentic chrism. In times of persecution, they have preserved reserves of myron or received it from other faithful bishops outside Russia who adhere to the ancient rite. At no point have they permitted the use of counterfeit or improperly consecrated chrism, lest the seal of the Spirit be defiled.
The anointing is not a vague gesture. Each part of the body is touched with the holy chrism for a purpose. For example: 1) the forehead, to sanctify the mind and thoughts; 2) the eyes, to purify the sight and to behold the truth; 3) the nostrils, to cleanse the breath and spiritual perception, 4) the mouth, to bless speech and confession of the Faith, 5) the ears, to consecrate hearing and obedience to the Word of God, 6) the breast, to seal the heart in love and faith, 7) the hands, to bless deeds and labour in righteousness, and 8) the feet, to set one’s path in the commandments of the Lord. The totality of the person is consecrated. There is no part of the human being that remains neutral or profane. After Chrismation, the newly illumined is no longer a slave of the world, the flesh, or the devil. He is a soldier of Christ, armed with the Spirit.
Those coming to the Church who were baptised outside of it, even if in the name of the Trinity, are not received by Chrismation alone. This abuse of economy, common among the modernising clergy, is rejected by the Old Believers. Chrismation cannot perfect what was never valid. If there was no baptism, there can be no Chrismation. It is a sealing, not a substitute. Likewise, those who apostasise and return to the Church are received with penance, but not rebaptised or rechrismated unless their baptism or Chrismation was invalid from the beginning. Chrismation cannot be repeated. Its grace remains even when grievously offended by sin, calling the sinner to repentance.
Chrismation is the personal Pentecost of each Christian. Without it, the Christian remains spiritually barren. With it, he becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit. Let no one regard this Mystery lightly or tamper with its form. As it is written in the Scriptures, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)
The Old Believer Church, holding fast to the practices of the first thousand years, will not dilute this Mystery for convenience, ecumenism, or compromise. The soul must be sealed, or it remains defenceless. Let the faithful hold to the Chrism of the Fathers and walk always in the grace it confers.
The Eucharist
The Holy Eucharist is the central Mystery of the Church. It is not viewed as a symbol. It is not an act of remembrance. It is the true Body and true Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, mystically and actually present under the appearance of bread and wine. As our Saviour declares without ambiguity: “For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.” (John 6:55–56) There is no salvation apart from the Eucharist. The one who refuses it out of negligence or unbelief condemns himself. But equally, the one who approaches it unworthily, without repentance, without fear of God, and without preparation, eats and drinks judgment upon himself. “For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.” (1 Corinthians 11:29) This is not a theoretical threat. It is real and eternal.
Among the Old Believers, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated with meticulous adherence to the texts, chant, and rubrics as preserved before the Nikonian apostasy. We do not accept reforms that introduced novelties, foreign gestures, or altered wording. The liturgy is not a personal project. It is the sacred inheritance of the Apostles, passed through the Fathers, sealed by martyrdom and guarded by the confessors. Every word, every gesture, every preparation before and during the Liturgy matters. The priest fasts. The sacred vessels are handled with trembling. The prosphora is made with leaven, with strict prayer and blessing. The wine must be pure, red, natural wine, mixed with a small portion of water—indicating both the water and blood that flowed from the Lord’s side. We believe that artificial wine or grape juice is a mockery and defilement of the chalice.
Communion is administered by spoon, with both the Body and Blood together, never separately, never by intinction or by hand. No layman may ever self-communicate. No priest may offer the Gifts to the unbaptised, to heretics, or to the unrepentant. The altar is not a place of hospitality. It is a place of divine fire. The Ark of the Covenant killed Uzzah when he touched it unlawfully (2 Samuel 6:6–7). Shall we think the Chalice is less holy?
Communion is not a reward. It is not an entitlement. It is holy. It is for those who have examined themselves and found themselves penitent and obedient. The current innovation in some parishes—both among the reformist Orthodox and the modernists abroad—of encouraging weekly or even daily Communion without confession is nothing short of spiritual disaster. It has bred carelessness, pride, and blasphemy. Saint John Chrysostom warned that many partake of the Body with unclean hands and polluted lips. Fire enters their mouths and burns them up.
The Old Rite demands preparation:
- Fasting from midnight (or from the evening before)
- Fasting from foods on the appointed days
- Abstaining from marital relations before Communion
- Attendance at the full service cycle prior to Communion
- Confession of sins to a priest before receiving the Gifts
Confession is not optional. It is not bypassed. There is no hidden economy, no secret arrangement between priest and layman allowing Communion without repentance. Every Christian must be at peace with his neighbour, must have no hatred or unrepented sin, must believe firmly in the true Faith, and must have confessed before approaching. If not, he is better to abstain and repent than to communed unworthily and perish.
The Holy Gifts are not tokens of unity with other denominations. There is no such thing as intercommunion. The heterodox—whether Protestants, Uniates, or other sectarians—have no access to the Chalice. Their sacraments are null, their priesthood void, their worship offensive. To commune them is to desecrate the Body of Christ. Likewise, many Old Believers do not commune with the state church clergy, who follow the Nikonian reforms. Their rite has been corrupted. Their priesthood is compromised. Their liturgy has been altered. Until they repent and return to the ancient Apostolic order, communion with them is impossible.
Frequent Communion is not condemned, but it is not casual. If one lives in prayer, repentance, obedience to the commandments, and maintains proper fasting and confession, then one may approach often. But few attain this. Saint Basil the Great allowed Communion four times a year for the average layman. The idea that frequency guarantees grace is a delusion. Grace is not earned by repetition but received through humility and spiritual vigilance.
The Fathers speak of the Eucharist as divine fire. It burns away sin when approached rightly, and it consumes the soul when received unworthily. Saint Seraphim of Sarov fasted and wept before each Communion. Do we imagine we are more holy than him? The careless communing of modern parishes, without fasting, without confession, without awe, is not piety. It is desecration.
The Chalice is the source of life or death, depending on the heart that receives it. The Old Believers stand firm — the Holy Mysteries are not toys for the pious-minded or instruments of social unity. They are the Body and Blood of God. Let none dare approach with pride or indifference. As the Apostle warns, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) And the Chalice is His hand. Let every Christian approach with trembling, or not at all.
Repentance (Confession)
This Mystery is not therapeutic. It is not counselling. It is the surgical excision of sin. It is not a place for introspective dialogue, nor for emotional release under the guise of piety. It is the confrontation of the soul with its corruption, before God, through the priest. As the Lord said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:23) Old Believers uphold the Mystery of Repentance in its full severity and realism. It is not optional. It is not delayed until death. It is necessary, frequent, and soul-searching. Confession is not simply “speaking to God alone.” The Lord entrusted this power to His Apostles and their successors—not to each man to exercise as he pleases.
Confession is made personally, face to face, with a priest. There is no curtain, no mechanical ritual, no formality. There is a soul opening itself before its shepherd, disclosing its filth without excuse. The priest, as a spiritual physician, may give a penance — not as punishment, but as medicine. This might include fasting, increased prayer, almsgiving, or temporary abstention from the Mysteries. These are not legalistic acts, but restorative treatments for the wounded soul.
The faithful prepare with thorough examination of conscience, often aided by patristic lists of sins, prayers of contrition, and the reading of the Canon of Repentance. Children are taught to confess from a young age. The elderly prepare for death with increased vigilance in this Mystery. The priest may weep with the penitent, but he does not indulge their self-deceit.
Confession is required before each Communion. This is not a burden, but a safeguard. Those who neglect it and approach the Chalice in sin receive not life, but judgment. “For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.” (1 Corinthians 11:29) There is no general absolution. There are no anonymous booths. There is no psychological flattery or moral relativism. There is the Cross, the priest, the Gospel, and the grace of Christ. The confessional is not a place for self-justification. It is where pride dies and the soul is resurrected. The Old Believer practice does not shy away from hard truths. The priest is not your friend, therapist, or cheerleader. He is your intercessor, your judge under God, and your guide to salvation. He has the authority to bind and to loose. But he also carries your sins on his conscience if he absolves without discernment.
Those who confess with deceit heap greater condemnation. Those who confess with broken hearts find mercy. As David prayed, “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)
Let every Orthodox Christian approach this Mystery not casually, but with fear and trembling, trusting in Christ’s mercy, and submitting to His judgement through His Church.
Marriage (Crowning)
Marriage, or Crowning, is not a ceremony for romance or tradition. It is a Holy Mystery instituted by God and affirmed by Christ. It is a bond so holy that the Apostle, in speaking of it, says: “This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:32) It is not temporary. It is not experimental. It is permanent and sacrificial.
Marriage is a spiritual union between a man and a woman, both baptised and faithful Orthodox Christians. It is not a legal arrangement. It is not a cultural event. It is a liturgical act before God and His angels. When the couple are crowned, they are joined not only in flesh, but in soul, and their union becomes an icon of the unity between Christ and His spotless Bride, the Church. This cannot be imitated or duplicated outside the Church. The modern world makes marriage a joke. Contracts, cohabitation, fornication, divorce-for-convenience—these are the plagues of the age. However, the Church must not adopt this rot. Our standard is not social acceptance but divine commandment. God created man and woman, and He blessed their union in Eden. Christ sanctified it at Cana. The Church seals it with crowns. It is sacred. It is for life.
The Rite of Crowning among the Old Believers is performed with full solemnity, in accordance with the pre-Nikonian order. There is no abbreviation, no improvisation. The couple stands before the iconostasis, holding lit candles, in humility and fear of God. The priest prays over them, joins their hands, and places crowns upon their heads—not of royalty or celebration, but of martyrdom. The crowns signify that the married life is not a pursuit of pleasure. It is a cross. It is suffering, patience, and self-denial for the sake of the other. The man is called to love his wife “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25) The woman is to honour her husband, not as a servant, but in the spirit of holy obedience, reflecting the Church’s obedience to Christ.
The couple walk not alone, but together, in Christ, as one flesh. Their hands are bound. Their lives are now inseparable. This is no place for modern theories of independence or self-fulfilment. Marriage is death to self and life in one another for the sake of Christ.
Divorce is a wound. It is allowed only out of extreme necessity, such as adultery, abandonment, or apostasy—but even then, it is a tragic concession, not a right. The Church does not grant divorce; she recognises when a marriage has been shattered by sin. The Gospel warns us by saying, “What God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mark 10:9) Remarriage, when permitted, is not a joyful event. It is not celebrated with crowns. It is permitted only after sincere repentance and with the blessing of the bishop. It is always of lower dignity than the first. A second marriage is penitential. A third is barely tolerated. A fourth is forbidden. Those who remarry casually or serially live in spiritual deception.
Mixed marriages—between Orthodox and heterodox—are not allowed. They are not blessed. They are not recognised. The idea that love or shared values can replace unity of faith is false. The Holy Apostle commands the Christians “not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) To attempt a marriage with a heretic, a schismatic, or an unbaptised person is to step outside the Church and to abandon the grace of the Mystery. It opens the door to confusion, conflict, and the loss of salvation. No priest may bless such a union. No excuse suffices. The Old Believers have lost families, lands, even their lives to preserve the purity of the Faith. Shall we now throw it away for convenience or sentiment?
Before marriage, the couple must be chaste. Fornication, cohabitation, or any form of sexual union before crowning is a sin. It must be confessed. It must be repented of. If there is no repentance, there can be no crowning. The Mystery is holy. Those who defile it without repentance bring judgment upon themselves. The Church is not a civil office. The priest is not a legal witness. He is a steward of the Mysteries of God. Couples are also required to fast before the crowning. They must confess. They must be instructed in the Faith. They must know that their union is permanent and binding until death. They must be willing to bear children and raise them in the Orthodox Faith.
The Mystery of Marriage is a high calling, not a social celebration. It is holy martyrdom in daily life. The crowns are not decorations; they are signs of death to self and life in Christ. Divorce is a tragedy. Remarriage is penance. Mixed marriage is forbidden. The Church cannot bless disobedience. Let every Orthodox Christian approach marriage with fear and trembling, not with sentiment and selfishness. As the Apostle writes, “Let marriage be held in honour by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.” (Hebrews 13:4) The Old Believer Church does not conform to the age. Let the age conform to Christ.
Anointing with Oil (Holy Unction)
The Mystery of Holy Unction is a sacred act of healing, instituted by Christ and confirmed by the Apostles, for the restoration of both body and soul. It is not reserved for the dying alone. The Apostle James gives no such limitation: “Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:14) Holy Unction is not theatrical. It is not performed out of routine or superstition. It is a solemn act of faith, carried out by the ordained clergy of the Church with fasting, preparation, and the sincere repentance of the one to be anointed. Without repentance, Unction becomes an empty gesture, and its grace is forfeited.
Among the Old Believers, Holy Unction is never confused with folk medicine or charismatic antics. It is not a spectacle. It is not a tool for the ambitious. It is a Mystery, established by the Lord through His Church. The grace it bestows is real—but it does not replace medicine, nor is it guaranteed to bring physical recovery. Healing of soul may occur even when the body continues to suffer. Physical healing, when granted, is a mercy, not an entitlement.
The oil used is blessed during the rite itself, with specific prayers and Scriptural readings, particularly from the Holy Gospels and Epistles. It is not simply olive oil. It is sanctified matter, set apart for the visitation of the Holy Spirit. Those who treat it lightly, or who think it can be used casually, dishonour what is holy.
The Mystery must be received with sobriety and preparation. If the sick person is conscious and able, they must confess their sins beforehand. Holy Unction does not replace Confession. The Apostle said, “The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.” (James 5:15) That forgiveness is not automatic. It requires confession and repentance.
In situations where the person is unconscious or near death, the priest may proceed with Unction, provided there is a basis to believe the person had repented and was in good standing with the Church. But there must never be careless or habitual anointing of the disobedient or the heretical. The grace of the Mystery is not granted outside the Church. Unction is for the faithful Orthodox, not the estranged or excommunicated.
The full rite of Holy Unction, according to the pre-Nikonian books, consists of seven sets of readings, prayers, and anointings. The priest anoints the forehead, nostrils, cheeks, lips, chest, hands, and feet, invoking the healing power of Christ over every sense and member of the body. This rite is not abbreviated without cause. It must be done carefully and according to the fixed tradition.
It is common among the Old Believers to perform Holy Unction on Great Wednesday, during Holy Week, as part of the spiritual preparation for Pascha. But this must not be done as an empty annual rite. The faithful are expected to prepare with fasting, confession, and prayer. Those who treat this rite as a customary “blessing” for the year without interior change blaspheme the grace of the Mystery.
Unction may also be administered individually, especially before surgery, during prolonged illness, or in moments of great danger. The priest must bring the Holy Mysteries when possible, so that the anointing is not separated from the fullness of the Church’s healing which consists of repentance, Communion, and prayer. The priest who performs this Mystery must himself be worthy. He must be in a state of grace, having confessed and fasted. He must not rush through the prayers. He must not be distracted or careless. He stands in the place of the Apostles and must conduct himself accordingly. The faithful must assist in the prayers, fasting and interceding for the sick, not standing idle or using the occasion for idle conversation.
It must be stated that Holy Unction is not offered to those outside the Church. It is not given to pagans, Protestants, Uniates, or the schismatics of the Nikonian fold. Nor is it given to the unrepentant, the fornicators, the apostates, or those living in open rebellion against the Church’s commandments. To offer them Unction is to mock Christ. There is no healing without repentance. There is no forgiveness without confession. There is no grace without the Church.
The Mystery of Holy Unction is a powerful grace, given for healing, restoration, and the strengthening of the faithful in times of trial. But it is not automatic. It is not casual. It must be approached with repentance, preparation, and faith. The Old Believer Church safeguards this Mystery with fear and trembling, as a sacred gift—not a token, not a custom, not a public performance. As the Apostle teaches, “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) Let the Church remain righteous. Let the priest be holy. Let the sick be penitent. Then the Mystery will bear fruit. Otherwise, it becomes a form without power, a ritual without grace, and a curse rather than a blessing.
Priesthood (Holy Orders)
The priesthood is not a right, a privilege, nor a social function. It is the dread service of the altar, a sacrificial yoke borne by those whom God Himself has chosen. “No one takes this honour upon himself, but only those called by God, just as Aaron was.” (Hebrews 5:4) The priest is a man set apart, not by popular vote, not by personal ambition, but by divine ordination through the laying on of hands in unbroken apostolic succession. To approach the Holy Table uncalled is to invite judgement.
The Old Believer Church holds fast to the apostolic priesthood in both order and doctrine. After the schism caused by the reforms of Nikon, which introduced novel rites and opened the floodgates to doctrinal and liturgical corruption, the priesthood was thrown into crisis. Many clergy defected to the state church and submitted to heresy. Others were martyred or driven into hiding. The Bespopovtsy—those who rejected all priesthood as hopelessly compromised—fell into error. The Popovtsy, however, laboured with sobriety and vigilance to preserve the apostolic priesthood by receiving canonical clergy from those jurisdictions and hierarchs who had not bowed to the state or adopted the new rites. In this way, the sacramental continuity of the Church was maintained, without compromise and without innovation.
A true priest must be ordained by a bishop in apostolic succession, with the correct rite, the correct intent, and the correct faith. Ordination without the Old Rite, or under heretical belief, is null. The laying on of hands alone is insufficient if the one laying hands is himself outside the Church.
The Old Rite maintains the traditional division between white clergy (a term used for married parish priests) and black clergy (a term referring to monastics). A man may be ordained a deacon or priest only once married, or if he has committed himself to monastic life. He may not marry after ordination. Bishops are chosen from among the black clergy exclusively, in accordance with ancient Orthodox discipline. A bishop must be celibate, a monk, a man of prayer and austerity—not an administrator or politician. The white clergy serve the parishes, instructing the faithful, celebrating the Mysteries, and providing spiritual care. They are not free men, but servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. The black clergy bear an even stricter calling—dead to the world, unentangled with family life or secular concerns, living for the sake of Christ alone. There is no room for indulgence or compromise among them.
The priest is the visible icon of Christ among the faithful. He stands at the altar not as a private individual, but as one who bears the weight of his people before the dread throne. His hands are anointed not for self-glory, but to handle the Holy Mysteries with trembling. He offers the Eucharist. He absolves sins by the power of Christ. He preaches the truth. He blesses and curses. He teaches and protects the flock from wolves. He is a watchman set upon the walls. “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account.” (Hebrews 13:17) His voice must not falter. His doctrine must not deviate. His life must be exemplary. If he is found corrupt, negligent, or heretical, he is to be removed and anathematised, for the sake of the people and the purity of the Church.
The Old Believer Church rejects any so-called priest who has received ordination from the Nikonian reformers or their successors. Likewise, those ordained in ecumenist or modernist jurisdictions are suspect unless they publicly renounce their errors and receive correction through proper rites and confession. The priesthood is not a matter of outward robes or titles, but of inner truth and exterior fidelity. A heretic in vestments is still a heretic.
The priest who treats his service as a career, who seeks praise, ease, or status, is a hireling, not a shepherd. The priest who winks at sin, permits laxity, or modifies the canons for convenience, betrays his calling. Such men shall be judged with double severity. A true priest fears God more than man. He does not bend to pressure from laity, rulers, or popular opinion. He knows that at the dread Judgment, he will answer not only for his own soul but for the souls entrusted to him. He must speak plainly, rebuke sharply, and comfort wisely. He must fast, pray, and weep for his people. Every soul lost through his negligence will be demanded of him.
He is not to innovate in liturgy. He is not to compromise on doctrine. He is not to mix Orthodoxy with the errors of Protestants, or the folly of the modernists. He is not to serve the Mysteries to the unworthy. He is not to accept bribes or honours. He is to be a man of the altar, a man of the Gospel, a man of suffering.
Holy Orders in the Old Believer Church is not a relic of history nor a title of honour—it is the unbroken chain of the apostolic yoke, stretching from Christ and His Apostles to the present day. It is the heart of ecclesial life. Without the true priesthood, there is no Eucharist. Without the Eucharist, there is no Church. Let no man approach it lightly. Let no bishop ordain carelessly. Let no parish excuse the unworthy. The priesthood is fire, and those who bear it must burn with divine zeal or be consumed.
Conclusion
The Seven Mysteries are not human customs. They are the divine ordinances by which Christ acts within His Church to regenerate, sanctify, forgive, strengthen, and bind His faithful. They are the very structure of the Church’s life and the appointed means of our union with the life of God. They are not symbolic performances. They are realities. “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29), and these Mysteries are among those gifts—established not by synods, not by state decrees, but by Christ Himself.
They are not open to revision. They are not subject to ecumenical dilution. They are not to be adjusted for pastoral convenience or for the sake of inclusion. Those who tamper with the Mysteries—by softening discipline, by introducing alien rites, by administering them to the unworthy or the unbaptised—are not stewards of grace but violators of the sacred. As the Apostle thunders, “If anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!” (Galatians 1:9) This is not rhetorical flourish. This is eternal judgement.
The Old Believer Church has not invented new doctrines. We have not added to the faith nor removed from it. In a world of shifting standards, in a modern Orthodoxy infiltrated by false irenicism, New Calendarism, and submission to worldly authorities, we have stood fast. The ancient rites remain untouched. The divine services are offered in the fear of God. The priesthood is maintained in apostolic continuity. The laity are taught the same faith once delivered to the saints. This fidelity has cost us blood, poverty, and exile—but it has not broken us. The Holy Church of Christ does not fall. Her Mysteries remain valid even when hidden in the forests, offered in barns, and preserved in secret. Truth is not voted upon; it is received and guarded. Those who now make common cause with the heretics and innovators of Protestantism, and the politicians of Constantinople should tremble. The Mysteries cannot be mingled with falsehood. Grace does not flow through corrupt vessels. There is no Eucharist outside the Orthodox Church. There is no priesthood in apostasy. There is no salvation through compromise. Let no one be deceived by soft words or hollow appeals to unity at the price of truth. Unity in falsehood is not Christian unity. The unity of the Church is the unity of the Body of Christ, preserved in His teachings, His sacraments, and His unchanging commandments.
The Seven Mysteries are the marrow of the Church’s life. We are baptised into death and life. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We are nourished by the divine Body and Blood. We are healed, forgiven, united in holy matrimony, and ordained in the apostolic ministry. These are not cultural expressions. They are not negotiable customs. They are the action of the living God in His Church. May we live in them. May we die with them. May we never exchange the truth for the approval of men. May our lives be hidden in Christ through these Mysteries. May our deaths be sanctified by their grace. And may our judgement be tempered by the mercy of the One who gave them.
To Him be glory, in His Church, uncorrupted and unbowed, unto the ages of ages. Amen.
— Fr. Charles