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Hilarion of Kiev

 

 
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Hilarion of Kiev
 
 
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Hilarion or Ilarion () was the first non-Greek
Greeks

The Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in Greek diaspora communities around the world....
 Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop

In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis ; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital....
 of Kiev
Kiev

Kiev, also known as Kyiv , is the Capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River....
. While there is not much verifiable information regarding Ilarion's biography, there are several aspects of his life which have come to be generally accepted.

According to the Primary Chronicle
Primary Chronicle

The Primary Chronicle , or Russian Primary Chronicle, is a history of Kievan Rus' from about 850 to 1110, originally compiled in Kiev about 1113....
 Ilarion served as a priest
Priest

A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities....
 or monk
Monk

A Monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, the unconditioning of mind and body in favor of the realization of one's true nature, and does so living either alone or with any number of like-minded people, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose....
 in the princely residence of Berestovo (Berestov) near the Rus' capital of Kiev
Kiev

Kiev, also known as Kyiv , is the Capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River....
. He acquired the reputation of well-educated scholar and upon the death of Metropolitan Theopemptus in 1049, Ilarion was proclaimed the metropolitan of Kiev by Yaroslav the Wise, the Grand prince
Grand Prince

The title Grand Prince or Great Prince ranked in honour below emperor and tsar and above a sovereign prince .Grand Duke is the usual and established, though not literal, translation of these terms in English and Romance languages, which do not normally use separate words for a "prince" who reigns as a monarchy had been for centurie...
 of Kiev, who thus challenged the old Byzantine
Byzantine

The word Byzantine may refer to:Topics directly related to the Byzantine Empire* A citizen of Byzantine Empire, or native Greeks during the Middle Ages ....
 tradition of placing Greeks on the episcopal see
Episcopal See

An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral....
s.

Hilarion's appointment met with stiff opposition from Luka Zhidiata
Luka Zhidiata

Luka Zhidiata was the second bishop of Novgorod the Great . He replaced Efrem, who was not consecrated bishop, but who administered the eparchy from the death of Ioakim Korsunianin until Luka's appointment....
, Bishop of Novgorod (r.1135-1160).






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Hilarion or Ilarion () was the first non-Greek
Greeks

The Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in Greek diaspora communities around the world....
 Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop

In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis ; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital....
 of Kiev
Kiev

Kiev, also known as Kyiv , is the Capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River....
. While there is not much verifiable information regarding Ilarion's biography, there are several aspects of his life which have come to be generally accepted.

According to the Primary Chronicle
Primary Chronicle

The Primary Chronicle , or Russian Primary Chronicle, is a history of Kievan Rus' from about 850 to 1110, originally compiled in Kiev about 1113....
 Ilarion served as a priest
Priest

A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities....
 or monk
Monk

A Monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, the unconditioning of mind and body in favor of the realization of one's true nature, and does so living either alone or with any number of like-minded people, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose....
 in the princely residence of Berestovo (Berestov) near the Rus' capital of Kiev
Kiev

Kiev, also known as Kyiv , is the Capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River....
. He acquired the reputation of well-educated scholar and upon the death of Metropolitan Theopemptus in 1049, Ilarion was proclaimed the metropolitan of Kiev by Yaroslav the Wise, the Grand prince
Grand Prince

The title Grand Prince or Great Prince ranked in honour below emperor and tsar and above a sovereign prince .Grand Duke is the usual and established, though not literal, translation of these terms in English and Romance languages, which do not normally use separate words for a "prince" who reigns as a monarchy had been for centurie...
 of Kiev, who thus challenged the old Byzantine
Byzantine

The word Byzantine may refer to:Topics directly related to the Byzantine Empire* A citizen of Byzantine Empire, or native Greeks during the Middle Ages ....
 tradition of placing Greeks on the episcopal see
Episcopal See

An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral....
s.

Hilarion's appointment met with stiff opposition from Luka Zhidiata
Luka Zhidiata

Luka Zhidiata was the second bishop of Novgorod the Great . He replaced Efrem, who was not consecrated bishop, but who administered the eparchy from the death of Ioakim Korsunianin until Luka's appointment....
, Bishop of Novgorod (r.1135-1160). Zhidyata openly opposed probably because it was the prerogative of the Patriarch of Constantinople to appoint the Kievan metropolitan and thus Ilarion's appointment was uncanonical. For his opposition, Luka was confined in the Kievan Caves Monastery
Kiev Pechersk Lavra

Kiev Pechersk Lavra , also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Monastery#Orthodox Christian monasteries in Kiev, Ukraine....
 for three years until his death, at which time his remains were taken back to Novgorod and buried in the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom
Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod

The Cathedral of St. Sophia in the Novgorod Kremlin in Veliky Novgorod is the cathedral church of the Archbishop of Novgorod and the mother church of the Novgorodian Eparchy....
 there.

It appears as though Ilarion did not serve an extended term as the Kievan metropolitan, as some chronicles began mentioning Metropolitan Yefrem in 1055. Nevertheless, Ilarion remains the best known of all the ancient Kievan metropolitans, not only because he was the first native to ascend to that position, but also because of his writings.

Ilarion is credited as the author of four works:
  • Sermon on Law and Grace,
  • Confession of Faith
  • Sermon on Spiritual Benefit to All Christians
  • a short collection of instructions for priests called .


External links

  • in the
  • at and
  • at the
  • by Alexander Men
    Alexander Men

    Father Alexander Vladimirovich Men was a Church of Russia theologian, Biblical scholar and writer. Father Alexander wrote dozen of books ; baptized hundreds if not thousands; founded an Orthodox Open University; opened one of the first Sunday Schools in Russia as well as a Charity Group at the Russian Children's Hospital....
  • , by
  • Sermon on Law and Grace by Hilarion with notes and comments ,