New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia

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New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.

The New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia were Orthodox Faithful who suffered during the Soviet period (1917 to 1991) for their faith.

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia glorified the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in 1981. Immediately following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian Church under the leadership of Patriarch Alexei II began glorifying some of the New Martyr's, beginning with the Grand Duchess Elizabeth, Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev, and Metropolitan Benjamin of Petrograd in 1992.[1] In 2000, the All-Russian Council glorified Tsar Nicholas II and his family, as well as many other New Martyrs.[2] More names continue to be added to list of New Martyrs, after the Synodal Canonization Commission completes its investigation of each case.[3] The Russian Church celebrates the feast of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia on the Sunday nearest January 25th (o.s.) / February 7th (n.s.) -- the date Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev's martyrdom (the first Hieromartyr of the Bolshevik Yoke).

Troparion:

Tone 4: O ye holy hierarchs, royal passion-bearers and pastors, /
monks and laymen, men, women and children, /
ye countless new-martyrs, confessors, /
blossoms of the spiritual meadow of Russia, /
who blossomed forth wondrously in time of grievous persecutions /
bearing good fruit for Christ in your endurance: /
Entreat Him, as the One that planted you, /
that He deliver His people from godless and evil men, /
and that the Church of Russia /
be made steadfast through your blood and suffering, //
unto the salvation of our souls.

Kontakion:

Tone 2: O ye new passion-bearers of Russia, /
who have with your confession finished the course of this earth, /
receiving boldness through your sufferings: /
Beseech Christ Who strengthened you, /
that we also, whenever the hour of trial find us /
may receive the gift of courage from God. /
For ye are a witness to us who venerate your struggle, /
that neither tribulation, prison, nor death //
can separate us from the love of God.


Notes

  1. Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church, New Edition, (London: Penguin Books, 1997), p. 164, see also New Martyrs, Confessors, and Passion-Bearers of Russia
  2. Sophia Kishkovsky, Russian Orthodox Church is set to mend a bitter schism, International Herald Tribune, May 16, 2007; Second day of bishops' council: Nicholas' canonization approved, Communications Service, Department of External Church Relations, Moscow Patriarchate, 14 August 2000
  3. Maxim Massalitin,The New Martyrs Unify Us: Interview with Archpriest Georgy Mitrofanov, participant of the All-Diaspora Pastoral Conference in Nyack (December 8-12, 2003), Pravoslavie.ru, December 13, 2003

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